To Protect
by KelkThundre
Summary: Modern AU: When the strong prey on the weak, the Battousai fights to protect them. When injured in a fight, he meets Kaoru, a woman who fights the evil in her own way. Distrust turns into trust as Kaoru works her way behind the mask to see the man behind the Battousai, as they work together to protect those who cannot protect themselves. I suck at summaries, just RxR.
1. Chapter 1

**So, a few things. This is my first Fanfiction so ya. Also, I know I suck at grammar so bear with me if I don't catch all my mistakes.**

 **Obviously I don't own Rurouni Kenshin and I will create characters as I need them.**

 **Please RxR. Thanks.**

* * *

The Meeting

Kaoru stood in her kitchen cooking dinner, or what she called dinner. Cooking wasn't her forte. When she had to cook, it usually involved frying some vegetables and putting it on rice. Give her some herbs and she could make anything, give her some food and she struggled to make it edible. Hearing a noise, she turned to look at the man lying on her couch. His flaming red hair and scar on his cheek made him rather easy to recognize. He had been unconscious for three days, she was starting to get concerned. If he didn't wake up soon then she would need to start looking for a way to get an IV.

Normally, she would call Megumi and have her patient transferred to the hospital and they would work out a way to pay for the medical care, but she couldn't really do that with a man wanted by the police. Since she had sworn to help all those that came to her for help, she got people from both sides of the law. It was her policy to never get her friends involved when she worked with criminals. The Battousai fell into that category.

His hand moved slightly telling her he was waking up. She would have sighed in relief if it weren't for the fact that he probably wasn't going to react very well to waking up in a strange place. Combined with the fact that he was one of the strongest fighters of the day and a skilled assassin, even when he fought with a sword against modern weapons, meant this was going to be interesting. Turning back to her stove she turned down the heat and turned on her electric kettle in preparation for what was about to happen. Slowly stirring her food, she waited, keeping her back to him. It was a sign of trust and would make him slightly less prone to attacking her first and asking questions later. She wasn't concerned about him hurting her. His injuries were far to sever for him to be able to move to where she was, let alone use his weapon. The most he could do right now was throw the sword at her, which she could probably avoide. A low grown followed by silence told her he was awake.

"I wouldn't do that," she said not turning around. She felt him hesitate at her words before moving again. Sighing she turned around just in time to see him fall to the floor. "Told you so," she muttered as she slowly made her way over to him. She had to give him credit, he hadn't passed out. Now he was watching her from the floor, even prone on the floor his fierce golden eyes were intimidating.

"I'm going to help you up. I would appreciate it if you didn't try to kill me." Not that he was in any shape to actually do so, she thought. She approached him slowly and knelt next to him. He was still watching her but hadn't moved. Whether that was by choice or because of his injuries she didn't know. Slowly she worked her arms under him, mindful of his injuries, and started the long process of getting him back on her couch.

Once he was lying down again she returned to her kitchen and pored the now hot water into a waiting tea pot. As the tea cooled she pulled out some of the bone broth she had made the day before. If he stayed awake long enough, she would try and get him to eat some, but the tea was more important because it would help with the pain. It wasn't great to have him drink the tea on an empty stomach but there was a good chance he would be asleep again before too long, so tea came first.

Once it had steeped for long enough, she added in a hefty amount of ice to make it cool enough for him to drink it easily. Grabbing a cup, she brought the pot to the table in front of the couch. Then she moved to help him into a sitting position. He flinched when she moved towards him, reaching instinctively towards his sword, which wasn't at his side.

"If I was planning on hurting you, you would think I would have done so while you were unconscious," She said. "And since you are probably wondering, your sword is right here," she said indicating the katana that was leaned up against the couch near his feet. Pouring him a cup of tea she took a sip before handing it to him.

"I figure you wouldn't drink it unless I proved it wasn't poisonous. This is just a simple willow bark and chamomile tea with a lot of honey. It will help with the pain. Drink it slowly." When she got up and he didn't move she added another commanding 'drink' before heading back to the kitchen to tend to her dinner. She didn't turn to check on him while she cooked, using her other senses instead.

He wavered for a while before taking a tentative sip. Once he discovered that it wasn't deadly he took a larger sip. Kaoru winced at this and turned off the stove, waiting. At first, nothing happened, and she started to wonder if maybe his strength was going to help prevent what she was expecting. But no, a few seconds later she heard the cup fall to the ground and the sounds of vomiting. Thankfully she had been prepared for this, her floors had long since been turned to wood and she had given him a plastic cup.

Hurrying over she quickly supported his weight. With one arm she massaged his back carefully, mindful of the injuries there. With the other hand she applied pressure to his wrist like she had been taught. His dry heaving's quickly stopped. She helped him lean back again and looked into his eyes. She almost pulled back in fright from the anger and ferocity she found in his eyes. If he wasn't almost falling unconscious from the pain the vomiting had just inflicted on him, she had no doubt that he would be trying to kill her right now. Thankfully, she wasn't about to find out if he was capable of such a thing in his current state.

"I said drink slowly," she reprimanded after she got her balance back from his stare. There was surprise in his eyes now, at the fact that his stare did not cow her. "When I say slowly, I mean slowly. A giant gulp is not slowly. Now, try again," she refilled his cup and handed it back to him. "This time take small sips and make sure you aren't going to throw up before taking another. I would actually like to eat dinner instead of cleaning up after you ever two minutes."

Reprimand delivered, she got up to retrieve the cloths she saved for this specific occasion. Then she started the oh so familiar task of cleaning vomit off her floor, muttering under her breath about how many times this had happened. Thankfully, he took her words to heart and was in enough of a need to relieve the pain that he drank the tea, despite distrusting her.

"Who are you," he asked in a scratchy voice after finishing the first cup of tea.

"Kaoru," She said refilling his cup. "This is my home. I live in the east side. Now drink up, I want to get some soup in you before you fall asleep." His ki sharpened at this. She responded in a relaxed manner, "No, I did not drug the tea. You are badly injured, you were unconscious for three days. Your body needs rest. Its only because of how strong you are that you haven't fallen asleep again already."

"The police?" He asked, not relaxing and not drinking his tea.

She sat in silence and glared at the cup until he got the message and started drinking again. Then she got up to get some of the bone broth. "What part of 'you were asleep for three days' did you not get. If I was going to report you, I would have and there would be police here. I cure the sick and heal the wounded to the best of my abilities. That is all I care about. Anyone who comes to me for aid will receive it without repercussions." She walked back over and handed him the bowl. "I can't say the stuff tasted very good, but it has a lot of nutrients. Drink it slowly and only eat as much as you think you can. I'm not expecting you to get more than a few mouthfuls down. Don't push it. I would like everything to stay in your stomach."

He took a few small sips before putting the bowl down and picking up the tea again. His movements were becoming more lethargic, telling her he was going to fall asleep soon. Once the cup was finished she helped him lie down and he was quickly asleep.

She rejoiced. Since he had been able to stay awake for so long, there was a good chance he wouldn't defecate in his sleep any more. Not that that had been an issue since the first day he came, since his system had nothing in it. She would keep the sheets there just in case, but it was nice to know that she would probably just need to help him to the bathroom from now on.

Washing up, she reheated her forgotten dinner and ate before getting ready to change his bandages. Once her dishes were in the sink she pulled out the second set of dished she used for her herbs. Her hands quickly crushed the comfrey leaves she had dried a few weeks ago. She would need more soon because she kept needing large batches to tend to all his wounds. She used a few other herbs when tending to him, but comfrey was the main one. It helped with healing and that was his biggest problem. Once the paste was ready she carried it, a bowl of water with a sponge, a bucket for the dirty bandages, and new bandages over to the couch.

Then came the slow process of removing bandages, washing away the old paste, checking to see how each wound was doing, noting any changes in her notebook, remedying any problems she found, applying the new paste, and finally putting a new bandage on. It took a long time, but she knew better than to rush. By the time she was done it was near midnight. She washed up, put everything away, and then took up her position at the end of the couch. She leaned against the couch and closed her eyes, falling into a partial sleep she was used to. It let her body rest while her mind stayed alert, listening to any noise that would indicate a change in his condition. He was awake but not out of danger yet. There was the always prevalent danger of infection.

* * *

The next two days passed in a very similar way, he would wake up periodically and be confused. She would then have to tell him where he was and who she was. It was getting rather frustrating. Every time he woke up she had to go through the same speech and convince him that she wasn't trying to kill him or turn him over to the police. Then she would force tea and broth down him until he fell asleep again.

When he was not awake she spent her time making other remedies that other people needed. They would be left outside her door which told everyone that she had a patient inside and that she was not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. It would be like this until she was able to get him into the guest bedroom. Once he was there people could come into her apartment again since the room had a door. The main reason for doing this was because she didn't want to get others involved when she was caring for a criminal. But she did the same thing for anyone, criminal or not, so it wasn't blatantly obvious when she had a criminal inside.

She hadn't put him in the guest bedroom to start with because there was a bed in there. It is a lot harder to maneuver him on a bed, so he would be on the couch until he regained some strength. As she expected, by the end of the second day he was able to sit up on his own. Learning the kind of swordsmanship that he practiced required a strong body. After he woke up for the third time that day and demonstrated that he could once again sit up on his own, she deemed him ready to move to the bed. Once he finished a cup of tea, to help with the pain moving would induce, she slowly helped him to the bedroom.

"Why do you do this?" He asked once he was situated and sipping tea again.

"I have the ability to help, why wouldn't I? You and your group work in the west side," she said. "You never come over to this side. We might not have as much crime over here, but we have a lot of poverty. Most people here can't afford medicine or to go to the hospital. A lot of people die because of that. What I do might not be as effective as modern medicine, but it is better than nothing."

"What do you ask in return," he said. Even after all she had done, he still didn't trust her. Which she understood but it still annoyed her that he thought so little of her.

"Nothing. I do not ask for payment from those who cannot pay. Many people chose to repay me through food or items like blankets. Some offer to help me pick herbs. If they decide to do this, they do it of their own free will, I do not ask it of them."

He didn't respond to this and after a few minutes of silence she left to go clean up the mess in her living room. Now that he was gone she could regain use of the space. She came back a few minutes later to find him asleep.

* * *

His body hurt. That was an understatement. He couldn't remember the last time he was in this much pain. The last time he had laid unconscious for three days. The tea was the only thing that helped. It had been four days since he had woken up in Kaoru's apartment. Experience told him not to trust her, but she had done nothing to harm him. Why he wasn't arrested was beyond him, she obviously knew who he was.

He didn't remember Kaoru at all, but somehow, she had gotten him from one side of the city to the other without being seen. It was over a five-hour walk. There was no way she had carried him all the way. He could tell she was strong by the way she held herself and how she didn't cow before him. If he had to guess, she studied a form of swordsmanship. But only someone like Sano would have had the strength and endurance to carry him for that long. So, he must have been conscious. But he didn't remember.

Kaoru was an interesting person, to say the least. Her long black hair remained tied up in a high ponytail. The fact that she had left his weapon within reach either made her very stupid, too trusting, or something he didn't quite understand. The sword lay next to him now, with the small string she had tied around it to lock the sword in the sheath. If he needed, he could break the string in an instant. He guessed it was there more to give him pause than to stop him from drawing it.

She knocked before coming in. He was sitting up in bed, which surprised her for a second, but she got over it quickly. "It's supposed to get cold tonight," she said in explanation for the blankets she was carrying. He couldn't help being confused as she laid the rather oddly colored blankets on his bed. She laughed at his reaction, "As I said, I get a lot of blankets from people. Electricity is expensive, which means heat is expensive. We use lots of blankets instead of a heater. The people in the city go through clothing about as quickly as they go through food, so there is always a lot of discarded clothing here. We take what is actually useful and turn the rest into blankets and other useful items. It works but things tend to look a little strange."

There wasn't a need to say anything, so he didn't. Once the blankets we layered on the bed she left and came back in with some tea. She moved to leave when there was a knock on the door. His hand moved instinctively to his sword and she tensed for a second before relaxing and smiling as a child's voice called through the door.

"Kaoru, Kaoru. Open up."

She smiled and left the room, closing the door. With the door closed the sounds were muffled. Partly out of curiosity and partly because he didn't trust Kaoru, he got up and made his way to the door. Cracking it open only slightly he watched what was going on.

Two little girls had attached themselves to her legs. Kaoru was laughing as she tried not to fall over. An older man stood in the doorway smiling.

"Well hello little Ayame and Suzume. How are you?"

"We going berry picking," The older one said.

"Ya, berry picking," the younger one echoed.

"We were heading to the forest to look for some winter berries and were wondering if you had a list for us," The older man said.

"I always do," she said waddling her way over to her desk with the girls on her legs. She glanced towards him, making it clear that she knew he was watching. Solidifying his theory that she had some kind of sword or martial arts training. A normal person would not have been able to notice he was there. Once the list was retrieved the three quickly left and the apartment fell into silence.

"Do you need help getting back to bed?" She asked as she turned away from the front door. Same direct tone she had been using with him the entire time.

"No," he said as he slowly made his way back. "Who were they?" He asked as she came in.

"That was Dr. Gensai and his two grandchildren Ayame and Suzume. Dr. Gensai is a retired doctor. He looks after his grandchildren now and goes to the forest every week to collect herbs for me."

"Did he teach you?"

"No, the old man did."

"Your father?"

"In a manner of speaking," she said with a tilt of her head. It was obviously not something she wanted to talk about.

"Do my men know I'm here?" He asked changing the subject.

"Not to my knowledge. I assume if they did they would be here. I would have offered you a way to contact them if I thought you would accept it."

"You would let me?"

"Ya, someone has to come pick you up. Besides if they are here then I would actually be able to get a good night's sleep…and a shower," she added to herself, but he heard. Looking at her now he could see exhaustion pulling at her shoulders. He couldn't help but wonder when she last got a good night sleep and if he was the cause of her lack of sleep. "I have a computer and a phone if you want to use them."

"The computer."

She nodded and left, coming back in a few minutes later with a laptop. "Here's my address," she said handing him a piece of paper and then leaving.

He booted the computer up. There was no lock screen. Opening up the internet browser, he quickly navigated to a sight they would be monitoring. He typed a short message that they would recognize as him, and sent it. Sano would be able to track the location the message was sent from so he didn't need to say the address. Then he cleared the browser history before shutting down the computer. Putting it on the bedside table, he finished his tea and laid down to rest.


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second chapter, tell me what you think.**

* * *

The Change

She was in the middle of putting up her strings, so she could dry the herbs Dr. Gensai had brought back, when someone slammed into their back. She hadn't been able to sense them at all, which told her they were well trained in hiding their presence. She probably should have seen this coming after letting Battousai contact his friends, but she had hoped he would let them know she didn't mean any of them any harm.

Something cold pressed against the side of her neck, "Where is he?"

"Seriously?" she did not like being threatened. Her training kicked in, in one swift move she jammed her elbow into his side and rolled away from the knife. It wasn't that hard to get away since he wasn't expecting a fight.

"You could have tried asking politely before putting a knife to my neck," She said once she was facing the man. He was taller than her with short black hair. "Didn't anyone ever teach you about being polite?" The man just stood there watching her. "I did not just spend the past week saving the Battousai's life just, so his friends could attack and threaten me."

"How exactly was I supposed to know you weren't a danger?" The man finally said.

"I guess I just assumed he would let you know. He's in that bedroom," She pointed and then returned to what she had been doing before being interrupted. The man nodded and entered the room. She saw that the Battousai was already sitting up in bed, which meant he had been awake through the whole thing. He had enough strength to walk to the door, he could have stopped his friend but hadn't.

Originally, she had planned on bringing him some tea when he woke up. Now, because she was so annoyed at the man, she decided he would just have to wait until after she had finished with her herbs.

The anger slowly left her as she sorted, grouped, and hung the herbs to dry. The poisonous plants went on the green string, the plants that reacted to skin went on the blue string, the roots on the yellow string, and everything else on the red string. This was her method to make sure nothing got messed up since some of the plants became hard to recognize once dried and labeling them was too dangerous since some were poisons. The man, she had heard the Battousai call him Aoshi, stood in the doorway and watched her.

A couple hours later, she was done, Aoshi had not moved. While she was putting everything away there was a knock at the door. "Kaoru, its me." Saito called through the door. Aoshi stiffened.

"Saito, you know the rules," she called.

"I know, I just wanted to make sure everything was fine."

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Well then, have a good day."

"You as well," she called and felt him withdraw from the door. "He's a friend," she told Aoshi who was still poised to attack.

"He sounded like a police man."

"He is. But like all other police men who know who I am, he knows better than to break the rules."

"What rules?"

"That no police officer is allowed inside while I have a patient." Aoshi did not reply to this.

It wasn't long before she felt another group moving towards her home. This group was far less welcome, but she didn't have a choice. Aoshi stiffened when she touched his arm and pushed him inside the room. "There is a group of idiots coming. It is best if you just keep the door closed this time. I don't think anything will happen but just in case, there is a secret door here," she said showing them the small door in the closet and how to open it. "If they try to come in, just hide in here. I will not stand for fighting in my home. It is a pain to clean up after."

She left before hearing a response, closing the door. It wasn't long before there was a pounding on her door.

"What?" she asked opening the door. Not even trying to hide her annoyance.

"I feel sick, so I came here," Gohei said. He towered over her, but she wasn't intimidated.

"Lucky me," she said letting him and his lackeys in.

"Whose here?" He asked looking at the closed bedroom door.

"None of your business," she said standing between him and the door, pointing towards the couch. "What's wrong?"

"I haven't been able to keep food down."

"How long?"

"A few days now," she nodded and did a quick physical. Checking his temperature and a few other things quickly revealed he was lying. Not that she would let on that she knew.

"It's probably just a stomach bug," she said moving to her herbs. "I'll make you something that should help."

"Drink this up and come back if you don't get better," she said once the tincture was done.

"You drink some first," she obliged and when nothing happened to her he downed the drink. Once it was finished he took his leave.

"That was Gohei Hiruma, right?" Aoshi asked.

"It was," she said cleaning up and then heading into the bedroom so Battousai didn't have to strain himself to hear the conversation. It was also lunch time, so she brought food in for the three of them.

"He's an idiot. He thought I wouldn't notice he was faking it since it was an internal illness. If I had to guess, he wanted to know if you were here."

"Do you think he figure it out?" Aoshi asked, always on edge.

"Probably not. Even if he did he will have more important things to worry about."

"What do you mean?" Battousai asked.

"Medicine used to help with a problem can usually cause the same problem if taken by a person who is not sick. Especially if I add something to it. He'll have quite the stomach ache for the next week. He must have been really curious to come here again after what I did last time."

"What did you do?"

"He came here and acted like I was his. So, I laced his tea with a strong laxative."

"Didn't you just drink some of the concoction you just gave him?"

She held up the leaf she was chewing on, "This counteracts it."

"I'm amazed he didn't just attack you."

"Oh, he's already tried that, never tried again."

"Aren't doctors supposed to not hurt people," Aoshi said and she could tell they were both on edge.

"Technically I am not a doctor, I'm an herbalist," This obviously didn't help, as both men moved towards weapons. "I have promised to help all those who come to me for aid and to never use my knowledge to kill. That doesn't mean I won't use my knowledge to give assholes, like Gohei, a taste of their own medicine. Besides it deters them from coming back. He and his men scare the people around here and find sport in abusing them. Unfortunately, a beating with a boken doesn't deter them as much as a week of being mysteriously sick."

"Then why have you not done anything to me?"

"Just because you break the law doesn't make you an asshole. I don't believe you are a bad person. You have strength, but you don't use it to take advantage of the weak. Instead you protect those who can't protect themselves."

He relaxed at this and his eyes did something she wasn't expecting. The fierce gold she had become use to faded slightly and was replaced by a faint purple color. It was her first glimpse at the man behind the Battousai.

"Well, now that Aoshi is here, I'm going to take a shower. The door is locked, and no one should be coming any way. Help yourselves to anything in the kitchen and don't touch my herbs. Only bother me if there is an emergency," she stood up, breaking her eyes away from his face, and left.

* * *

"She's one scary woman, that she is," Kenshin said relaxing. With Aoshi there and Kaoru not nearby, he could afford to do so.

"And your starting to like her despite that."

"You have to admit that she can take care of herself. On top of that she can make a man like Gohei sick for a week with a small vial of liquid. If she was going to do something she would have already, that she would." Aoshi did his typical grunt in response. "How are the others?"

"Worried. Hiko-san had been in a terrible mood. Misao should be here soon to check in. We didn't know if this was a trap. Your message wasn't that informative."

"We should try to make sure she doesn't attack our host. I would prefer to not anger Miss. Kaoru anymore."

Aoshi nodded, "How badly hurt are you?"

"I was unconscious for three days. Past that and the pain I'm not entirely sure. She always changes the bandages while I'm asleep, that she does."

"Should I take a look?"

"It might be best to wait for her. Who knows what she will do if someone messes with her handy work." The corner of Aoshi's mouth twitched, showing his amusement.

"Sorry for causing worry," he said, Aoshi simply nodded. As the silence stretched on, his mind started to wander back to the night he had been injured.

He had been on patrol like always. The others were off either investigating rumors or patrolling their own sections. His section was one of the areas with the highest crime rates because it was where the wealthy city turned into poverty. Where the rich took advantage of those who are weak and desperate. Someone had screamed, and he had gone to investigate. Looking back on it now, it was easy to see that it was a trap. He had found himself alone, in an empty building that was falling apart.

A few well-placed detonations quickly had the building collapsing. It hadn't been easy getting out before the entire building collapsed on him. He was able to avoid the bigger pieces of debris, but he had been hit by plenty of the smaller pieces. Smaller bits of concrete, glass, and pipes had slammed into him as he ran to get out. There wasn't much his sword could do against a building.

Once he got out he found himself face to face with a wall of armed police. He knew how to fight against guns but it still hadn't been easy, especially after just escaping from a collapsing building. Eventually, he got away and that's when his memory started to get a little fuzzy. He had started suffering from blood loss by then.

The police had been the ones to set the trap. They were more concerned with catching him than making the city a better place. True, he had killed his fair share of people and had been an assassin, back when he had been working for the elites, but he was only a criminal because he broke the law in order to save people. If the police spent more time catching the elites who bent and broke the laws to get what they wanted, then he wouldn't have to keep breaking the laws.

The police blamed him for any assassination that occurred in the city, even though none of them had been committed by him in over ten years. The elites hired assassins to do their dirty work, he had fallen in with one when he was younger and full of ideas of grandeur. He though he was doing good, until he saw the aftermath of what he had done. The poverty and desperation his actions had caused.

"You jerk," Kaoru suddenly shouted, bring him out of his memories. Quickly, he donned the mask of the Battousai again.

Misao had arrived. Due to the fact that neither he nor Aoshi were sending out any signs of there being trouble, she had not attacked Kaoru. She had however, come through the window and startled Kaoru, who had just finished her shower. Kaoru was not happy.

"You could have at least warned me someone was coming," Kaoru said. Her outburst had startled the young ninja, but not for long.

"Aoshi, Kenshin, are you alright?" Misao said, pushing past Kaoru into the room. He winced when she said his name. As far as he had known, Kaoru had not known his name and he hadn't planned on telling her. For his safety and her own. When Misao said his name though, Kaoru's eyebrows raised slightly, telling him that she hadn't missed it.

"We are fine, sorry for worrying you," he said before she could say anything more detrimental in her excited state. She was a fierce ninja and a good ally, but she was young and prone to letting her emotions take control.

"Go back and tell the others that we will be back in a few days once the Battousai has regained his strength," Aoshi said, realizing that Misao would probably recite the names of everyone in the group and how worried they had been, if he didn't keep her focused.

"How many more days?" Misao said taking the hint.

"Unless there are any changes, tomorrow or the day after. Depending on how the Battousai feels," Kaoru spoke up from the door way. Kenshin sighed.

"Call me Kenshin, since you now know my name there's no reason you shouldn't use it," he said. She nodded and studied him. "What?"

"Your name, it suits you," was all she said. With that she turned and left. It took Kenshin a few minutes to shake off the surprise her comment had caused.

"I'll let the others know," Misao said and left. Aoshi let out a long breath and sat down again. Kenshin couldn't help but laugh. Misao was improving, but she had a while to go before she was a true ninja.

Once Misao was gone, Kaoru came back in with a notebook under her arm, a bowl of water, new bandages, and a bowl of a strange looking green mixture.

"I need to change the bandages," she said opening the notebook and reading through it before putting it down on the table.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Your medical record, in a manner of speaking. It is just a record of all your injuries, how I am treating them, and how they are healing," She handed him the book, so he could look over it. Then she took his closest arm and started undoing the bandages. Aoshi stood behind her and watched.

It was a bit of a shock when the bandages were removed, and his arm was green. Then she quickly used a sponge to clean his arm and the green stuff washed off, revealing a cut that ran up his arm, caused by a piece of glass or a bullet. It had been well stitched together and was healing remarkably well. She checked the wound, probably looking for signs of infection, then checked the book before nodding and grabbing a pair of scissors.

"I should be able to remove some of the stitches today, but you will have to make sure you don't strain the area and cause the wound to reopen. The rest of them won't be removed for another couple of days. Either your friends can remove them, if they know how, or you have to come back here so I can remove them." He nodded understanding, he along with Aoshi and Hiko knew how to remove stitches. Sano gave them plenty of practice with that.

She worked carefully and with skill. The ease at which her hands moved through every task proved she had been doing this for some time now. Once she was done with his arm she applied more of the weird green paste, explaining that it was made from comfrey leaves and that it helped wounds heal.

He had a few deep cuts on his torso and other arm. It was impossible to see his back but judging by the look Aoshi gave him, it wasn't a pretty sight. Which would explain why his back hut a lot. There was only one major cut on his thigh. Interlaced with the cuts were quite a few bruises. She poked and prodded at each, asking him how much it hurt.

When Aoshi complained about this she told him that it is hard to tell how bad a bruise is based just off the coloration since everyone bruised differently. Since Kenshin was awake she could finally figure out how bad they were. Sometimes she would leave and come back with a cotton cloth which she told them was soaked in witch-hazel or a bottle of mullein flower oil, which she applied to the worst of the bruises.

Along with the cuts and bruises he also had three cracked ribs, which explained why breathing was difficult. She encouraged him to take deep breaths instead of small ones and that it would actually help with the healing, especially since she had to wrap a bandage around his chest due to the cuts.

After everything was done he was truly amazed that it had only been a week since he had been injured and he was already feeling better. He told her as much.

She smiled and laughed a little, "That's because you were unconscious for the first three days. You had a fever for the first two days which really made it hard for you to breath. I had to resort to some pretty drastic measures to get you to stabilize. Many of which neither of you would have approved of if you had been here or awake. There was also the problem of how much blood you had lost. I don't have blood bags so that hindered the process even more as I tried to increase your red blood count without replacement blood, while trying to get you stabilized. I owe my neighbors a lot of ice after all the ice I took from them to keep the inflammation from your fractured ribs down. The inflammation was also hindering your breathing and made it nearly impossible for me to tell if your lungs had been punctured. My only reassurance was that you weren't turning blue.

"Then there was also the issue of you getting dehydrated. Getting you to drink water was quite the adventure. Thankfully, the fever helped to burn out any infections in the wounds, so once the fever broke everything started to move smoothly."

It took a couple of seconds for him to process this. No wonder she had complained about getting sleep. "Thank you for sticking with me then," he finally said.

"I didn't lug you across town just to let you die," she said with a faint smile.

"How did you get me across town?" He asked, and her face immediately closed.

"With a lot of effort," Was all she said, and he didn't find the need to push. However she had done it didn't matter. All that mattered is that she had done it.

"Well thank you. You should get some sleep. We can wake you if we need something."

"That was the plan," she said picking up her things. "Wake me if you need anything."

Once they heard her bedroom door close he looked at Aoshi, who nodded and went into the kitchen. They would see what she had so they could make her food once she woke up. After her description of the days before he had woken up, he felt like they could at least do that much.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews. Here's Chapter 3, let me know what you think.**

* * *

The Pickpocket

Kenshin sat on a roof, enjoying the fresh air. It had been a month since he had been injured. Once he had returned home, Hiko-san had confined him to his room. He was finally being allowed out on patrol again as long as he stayed in the safer areas and had someone with him. It was understandable after what had happened, but he still didn't like being treated like a child.

"Give it a week of you not being attacked and they will relax," Sano said, reading his mood.

"I feel like a miss behaved child."

"We were worried. Especially after we couldn't find you for a week."

"I know," he said, unable to be mad. Peeking over the edge of the roof he checked on the boy they were following. He hadn't moved.

They had seen the boy earlier that day. It looked like he was a pickpocket except for the fact that he kept returning the purses he stole, which had spiked their interests. The boy couldn't be more than twelve and was obviously underfed. They had been following him to see what he did and to see if there was anyone the boy was protecting or trying to take care of, he obviously didn't want to be stealing. If he was slightly older they would have debated bring him into their group but because of his age, all they could do is try and make his life slightly easier.

"Here comes trouble," Sano said and Kenshin followed his gaze up the street where two men were coming towards them. By the way they walked and how people treated them, they were thugs for someone. No matter how many gangs they destroyed, more popped up.

"Oi, lemi go," the pickpocket yelled as the men grabbed him.

"Boss wants a word," the man said, and they dragged the kid away. No one moved to help. In this world, if you helped you got killed, or worse. It was a world of everyone for themselves.

He and Sano silently followed the men as they threaded their way through the streets. They would learn the location of this new gang and then decide what to do. Sometimes destroying a gang would only worsen the situation because it would allow police to fill the void. They would have to decide whether to leave the gang or destroy it depending on how bad the gang was. The kid, for his part, did not stop struggling even after they had struck him a few times.

In the end, they ended up at an old styled house. If it weren't for more pressing matters, Kenshin would have loved to stop and admire the place. There weren't many places like this anymore.

"Who's that," Sano said pointing to someone who was sneaking over the outer wall.

Kenshin almost fell over in shock when he recognized the long black pony tail, though he had never seen Kaoru wearing a hakuma before. "That would-be Miss. Kaoru," he said once he got past his shock.

"What's she doing here?"

"I'm not sure," Kenshin said and easily jumped over the wall. He dearly hopped he hadn't misjudged her. After all, she had done so much to keep him alive, but he had no explanation for why she was here. Sano followed close behind him. Since it was an old styled house, it wasn't hard for them to find purchase in the celling to watch.

"I didn't ask for your help, ugly. This has nothing to do with you," the pickpocket yelled at Kaoru. There were surrounded by about ten men. Two were holding the boy, pushing him to the floor in front of the man who was obviously the boss. The rest of the men started at Kaoru but didn't seem concerned. Kenshin wondered how many people had underestimated her just because she was a woman armed with a wooden sword. He wouldn't have thought much of it if it weren't for the way she held herself, with no signs of fear.

"Just shut up will you," Kaoru said back. "This does have something to do with me now. You don't honestly expect they will just let me leave now."

"Just let her go," the pickpocket said, looking at the boss.

"I'm afraid not. A pretty face like that could be worth a pretty price," the boy started to struggle against the two men holding him. Kenshin had to give the kid credit. He was small and weak, but he was still trying to save Kaoru.

"While I'm honored you find me pretty, I'm afraid I won't be sticking around and neither will the kid."

"Men, don't damage her face," the boss said, and the men attacked. The boy yelled form his position on the floor as he broke out and took down the men who had been holding him. He had no formal training, just what you learn from fighting on the streets, but it was effective.

Kaoru made quick work of the other men. Her well-placed blows disarmed the men and knocked them out. Kenshin was impressed by her form. She had obviously studied for some time. He and Sano were ready to help if the need arose, but they quickly discovered that they weren't needed.

"Are you ok kid?" Kaoru asked once all the men and the boss had been dealt with.

"I didn't ask you to come and save me. I don't need your pity."

"I don't pity you, otherwise I would have taken care of the men holding you first. I just decided I was tired of these guys forcing kids to steal."

"You could have gotten yourself killed idiot."

She rapped him lightly on the head with her bokken, causing him to exclaim in annoyance. "That's no way to talk to your elders." The boy just glared at her. She smiled and knelt in front of him. "I can't offer you much, but I can offer you a roof over your head, regular meals, the chance to help others, and to learn swordsmanship." The boy's eyes widened at this.

"Why should I trust you?"

"You shouldn't, but I promise I am not involved in anything like the things these men were involved in," she said and Kenshin looked to Sano. He had just thought they were a regular street gang. What was she talking about? "And either way, you're coming back to my home, so I can tread your injuries. Whether you stay or not, is up to you," and with that she grabbed him by the collar and lifted the squirming child over her shoulder. "I'm Kaoru by the way, assistant master of the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu who are you."

"Yahiko," the boy grudgingly said once he discovered that he wasn't going to be let down. "What about these guys. You just gonna leave em?"

Kaoru glanced up to where he and Sano were hiding and smiled, "They'll get what's coming to them."

Once they were gone Sano let out a low whistle, "That's one little lady you've found."

"That she is," Kenshin agreed. "Do you know what she was talking about?"

"No," Sano said, returning to business. "I assumed they were just some street thugs. Guess the little lady left em to us. Shall we go ask these lovely gentlemen if they will answer our questions?"

Kenshin nodded and jumped down.

* * *

"I thought you said you were an assistant master. Doesn't an assistant master need a dojo? This is an apartment," the boy, Yahiko said. The brat had complained the entire way home and was now insulting her home. For about the millionth time since she had caught the boy trying to steal her wallet, Karou wondered why she had helped him.

"The dojo burned down three years ago. I don't have the money to rebuild it," she said, careful not to let on just how much this fact hurt her. "I live here now and since no one uses the gym on the first floor, the landlord let me turn it into a practice room. I teach self-defense lessons mostly."

"Don't you teach swordsmanship?"

"I do, the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu is the sword that protects. It was taught to be by…my father," Yahiko registered her pause but didn't push. "Unfortunately, in this day and age, not many people wish to learn swordsmanship. Especially from a woman."

"What makes you think I want to learn it?"

"The fact that you haven't left, despite the fact that all your injuries are taken care of. And I can tell you wish to protect people. You wish to have the power, so people can't push you or people like you around."

"So, you followed me because of that?"

"Partly because of that. You gave me the unique opportunity to bring them down. By myself I cannot do much."

"But you just left them."

"As I said, it was a unique opportunity. You didn't only catch my attention today."

"Whatda mean?"

"The Battousai was also following you for most of the day." Yahiko's eyes widened.

"Was he going to hurt me for stealing?"

"I don't think so. He seemed more curious as to why you didn't want to be stealing but were. I took you in, which I think was for the best. You are too young and untrained to fight with him. I trust him to deal with the gang. He has power and connections that I don't have."

Yahiko nodded, she had expected him to get mad at being called young and weak, but he had accepted it without complaint. He had an attitude and a bad mouth, but he also had a brain. He could see the truth in her statement. "How did you know he was there?" He finally asked.

"As you learn to fight, you learn to start sensing ki. I am able to sense his because we have…interacted before," Yahiko opened his mouth to ask but she quieted him with a hand. "I tend to all those who come to me for help."

He contemplated this for a while, "What is ki?"

"It is like the invisible energy someone gives off. The stronger their ki, the sharper it is," Yahiko looked confused so she tried again. "Close your eyes," after a moment's hesitation he did, he obviously didn't like doing so though. "Imagine you are in a pool. You are completely still and so is the water. Now imagine someone entering the pool. They make no noise. Do you know they are there?" Yahiko nodded. "How?"

"Because they would disturb the water."

"Correct, you can open your eyes," he did so. "Sensing ki is like sensing the disturbance in the water, but you aren't actually in water. The stronger someone is the bigger waves they make; ordinary people are harder to sense because of this. At the same time, strong people can also hide their ki so that only other strong people or people well versed in sensing ki can see them."

"Which one are you?"

"While I am not weak, I would not say I could match the Battousai in a fight either. So, a combination of both in a way."

"I can learn how to do that?"

"As your ki sharpens, you will start to see others. So, will you become my student?"

Yahiko started to nod then froze, eyes narrowing. "How did you know what that group was involved in?"

"I know because I try and protect the people here from falling into that. Desperation can make you believe anything. Members of his group have come around here, making families false promises of work and money. While I can stop them from taking people who will listen to me, it is hard to help those who have already been taken. Finding dens is hard and the police won't do anything until a den has been found. That is why I hope the Battousai, with his resources, will be more successful than I have been."

He seemed to accept this explanation but there was no trust in his eyes. That was something that would take time to learn. "So where will I be sleeping?"

She led him past her room to a closed door. The landlord had given her a three-bedroom apartment, even though she had only asked for two, since he didn't have any smaller apartments. The rent was the same either way, so she didn't mind. Right now, she used it for storage but there wasn't much in it. The room had a raised tatami mat floor, like hers. Only the guest bedroom was western style. Opening the closet, she found a futon and blanket.

"Help me get this outside to air them out and check for bugs. I air them out occasionally, but it's been a while." Yahiko helped without complaint and once they passed inspection they went back inside. "You up for a little cleaning?"

"I'm not a child," Yahiko grumbled. It didn't take long for them to go through the few boxes that were stored in his room. They mostly contained pieces that she had salvaged form the dojo. Yahiko told her that she could just leave the boxes, he didn't take up a lot of room, but she insisted they be moved to her room. This resulted in a shouting match that ended with her picking up the boxes, and moving them while Yahiko called her ugly and stupid.

Once the boxes were gone, they started dusting. After a while she thought it was probably good to give him some time alone to adjust. "I'm going to go over to Dr. Gensai's house," she said washing her hands.

"Who's he?"

"A friend of mine. He keeps an eye on me. I want to let him know you are staying with me, so he doesn't get worried. Do you want to come?" He shook his head. "Alright, I'll be back in an hour. There is food in the fridge if you get hungry. Just make yourself at home, but I wouldn't suggest touching the herbs or jars," she said pointing at various areas of the living room and kitchen that housed her work. "A lot of them are dangerous in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they are doing."

It was a little nerve wracking leaving him in her home alone, she hated to admit. The kid was proud, and she didn't think he would steal form her. But, just as he didn't trust her, she didn't trust him yet either. Thankfully, there wasn't much of value in there, and what was valuable was well hidden.

XXX

The boy was a quick study. He hadn't survived on the streets for so long for nothing. It had been a little over three weeks since she had taken him in and he had learned a lot. Every morning they practiced in the gym before breakfast. Then he would make breakfast, usually complaining about how bad of a cook she was, and then they would go to her self-defense lessons. This routine was often disturbed as patients came in, often with minor injuries or a nasty cold. Dr. Gensai had given her some cloths for Yahiko after he had found out about the boy. Yahiko had taken them after she had pointed out that his old cloths smelled.

Yahiko not only picked up swordsmanship quickly. He quickly learned the self-defense she taught and about herbs. It wouldn't be long before she could start relying on him to help with her classes. She already used him to get herbs for her while she was tending to someone. He could recognize the ones she used most often and where they were kept in her apartment.

The more she let him help, the more relaxed he became around her. She still didn't know anything about him, but he no longer treated her like the enemy.

"What are in the jars up there?" Yahiko asked as they worked in the kitchen to make dinner. Karou paused, not sure what to say. "What?" He said when she didn't respond.

"They are high concentrations of different plants that can be rather dangerous," she finally said. Telling him they were poisons would probably not go over well. This response was the truth, just lacking the poison part.

"Why are you dodging the question?"

"I'm not, it's the truth. Now get back to cooking before you burn the food."

Yahiko glared at her but turned back to the food. "You're not telling me because you don't trust me."

"Do you trust me?" There was no response to this. "Exactly. Trust is a two-way street. I can't fully trust you until you trust me."

"Are those bottles really that dangerous?" She was saved from answering by a knock at the door.

"Eichi," she said, opening the door to find her old friend. "What brings you here?"

"Do I need an excuse to see my friend?" He said coming in and sitting down. "Who's the kid?"

"I'm not a child," Yahiko said watching Eichi cautiously.

"He's my student and he lives with me now." Eichi just grunted and rolled his eyes. "Eichi," she reprimanded. "I will not stand here and let you insult my student."

"He probably has a criminal record. Better keep an eye on him, otherwise he's bound to steal from you."

"Eichi!" She said, blocking Yahiko who was now furious. "Get out and come back when you are in a better mood. I will not stand for this."

He stood up angerly and came towards her threateningly. She kept her arm out to stop Yahiko, "Don't do something you're going to regret," she said.

He grabbed the closest vial to him and threw it on the ground. Causing it to shatter and the contents to be ruined. Then he stormed out of her apartment, slamming the door.

"Who was that?" Yahiko asked, moving to help her clean up the mess.

"An old friend. We grew up together."

"He's your friend?"

"He was," she said with a sigh.

"What happened?"

"He became obsessed with catching the Battousai and I didn't agree with him."

"Why?"

"Because I don't believe the Battousai is bad, so I don't believe the police should be trying to catch him. I believe they should focus on more important things."

"It looked like he was going to hurt you."

"He knows better than that. I can easily match him and he's on my terrain. He knows if he went down that path he would regret it. Herbs can be used in many different ways if you know what to do. It's what stops him from trying to break in every time he suspects I am treating a criminal. And he still sees me as a friend, despite not agreeing with me."

"So, should I be careful around him?"

"Yes."

Yahiko nodded and returned to the kitchen to finish cooking. Karou sighed. It was hard, losing her friend, but she was determined to stand up for what she believed. Eichi still came to her and they would talk but the conversations didn't usually end well. The last time she had seen him was when he had told her about his plan to catch the Battousai by collapsing a building on him. That had ended in quite the shouting match. He probably would be furious if he ever found out she had been on that side of town that night. Since she lived so far away from the Battousai, he hadn't even suspected her of helping the Battousai. He was probably still furious that his plan had failed, which is why today had not gone well.


	4. Chapter 4

**So, here is where the plot actually starts. Sorry for the long intro. Hopefully you like it.**

* * *

The Find

Kenshin walked into the base in a foul mood. Everyone could tell and stayed out of his way. He was thankful for this, because the last thing he needed was for someone to ask him how the search was going. He slammed his fist into the wall. Two months, they had been searching for two months and still nothing. His talk with the gang boss was still fresh.

After Karou and the kid had left, he and Sano had jumped down and waited for the gang boss to wake up. Sano had eventually gotten bored and dumped a bucket of water on the man. What followed was shock and then apologizes once the man figured out who was standing over him. They had quickly silenced the man and gotten to the point. That's when this had all started.

 _The man looked up at them with a strange glint in his eyes, "Are you interested?" He asked. "I would be happy to give you the next shipment free of charge. Although, I'm not sure when the next batch will be here, the training process can take some time," The man said the last part more to himself but loud enough for him and Sano to hear._

 _Kenshin's eyes widened in shock as what the man was saying sunk in. He was talking about selling people._

They had known there was slavery, but they hadn't realized just how large the slave trade was until they started digging into it. How had they not known? How had they not heard of the number of people going missing? It was frustrating that they were just learning about this and were yet to be able to do anything. They had spent most of the past two months looking for where the slaves were being kept. They were closer than they had been, but they still hadn't found anything.

Part of him wanted to go and ask Karou if she knew where to look. But the other part of him quickly pointed out that she had left this up to him, probably because she didn't know where to look and she had guessed that, with his resources, he would have more luck. Which lead to the other question he had been asking himself, how had she known? She didn't live on that part of town. How did she know that gang was involved in the slave trade?

He was also concerned. Since meeting Karou, he all the sudden wanted to go to her with all his problems or just to talk. He barely knew anything about her. In this world, you didn't trust someone that quickly, which is why he wanted to avoid interacting with her for a while.

"Are you done with your temper tantrum?" Master Hiko asked, coming to stand next to him.

"I am just angry we haven't made any progress."

"We know now, and we are slowly finding out where they are not, that is progress."

"But how many more people will be hurt because our _progress_ is so slow?"

Master Hiko just glared at him, "And how much slower will our progress become because someone keeps getting angry and losing his focus."

Kenshin's anger slowly faded, Master Hiko was right, as usual. Getting angry wasn't going to get them anywhere. None of the others had been very successful. They had found traces of the slave trade, but nothing that gave them a direction or a place to look. All they had found was that it was larger than any of them had suspected.

"I think I found something," Aoshi said, breaking them out of their conversation.

"What?" Kenshin asked.

"We weren't having much luck, so I went and talked to Karou. She told me that most of the time people unknowingly give their children to the slave trade because they are desperate, so they believe the men who come to their homes and promise to find their children employment. Once I learned about that I looked around for gang members who were going house to house. It didn't take long to find them. Then it was just a matter of following them."

"Can anyone tell me why we didn't just ask this woman in the beginning?" Master Hiko said as they all moved to get ready. Kenshin decided it was best not to answer.

"Lead the way," he told Aoshi when they were all ready.

They moved silently through the streets. Even in a large group no one noticed them. Aoshi took them towards the port where there were a bunch of abandoned warehouses. Kenshin could tell Sano wanted to make a remark about bad guys and warehouses, but he was holding himself back.

There were no visible signs from the outside that anyone was there. Aoshi took them to the roof of one of the middle warehouses. Glancing inside, they could see a couple armed guards and a group of women against one wall.

"What's the plan?" Misao asked. Kenshin's brain was moving through different possibilities when Aoshi cleared his throat.

"Might I suggest calling the police?" he said.

"Why the hell would we do that?" Sano asked.

"Because we don't know the first thing about dealing with slaves," This caused Sano to shut up.

"That is probably for the best," Kenshin said. It was disturbing to watch the women. They were being guarded but none of them were tied up. They willingly went where ever the men told them to go. If he didn't trust Aoshi, he would be questioning if this was really what they were looking for. Granted, there weren't that many here, but it was a start.

"Misao, you call the police," Kenshin instructed. She nodded and disappeared. "We will stay and see what they do, so next time we won't have to call them." Everyone nodded. None of them were happy about relying on the police, but Aoshi was right.

The police arrived quickly. It was amazing how they could get somewhere quickly if they actually wanted to, Kenshin thought. The women stayed where they had been placed, not reacting at all when the police showed up. Once the guards were secure, one of the officers went outside and made a phone call. Then they all just sat around and waited, none of them went near the women. Kenshin and the others were very confused by this but just stayed and watched. Not long after a car pulled up and Karou got out. So much for avoiding her, he thought.

Sano let out a soft chuckle, "The little miss just keeps showing up." This identified her to those who didn't know what she looked like.

* * *

"What was that about?" Yahiko asked her once she hung up the phone.

"It was Saito, they just found a den," she said grabbing one of the large jars from the top of her cabinet.

"We're going there?"

"No. I'm going there. You are going to stay here."

"Stop treating me like a child."

"Yahiko, you are twelve. You are still a child. At least let me protect you from this. You might know what a den is, but you don't know what goes on there."

Yahiko gritted his teeth but didn't argue, "Why are you bringing that with you?" He indicated the jar.

"It helps counteract the drug they use to break people. I worked with a doctor from the hospital to develop a treatment for it. This is the first step, it is best to administer it to people as quickly as possible before they are transferred to a facility that rehabilitates them. It takes about an hour to take full effect."

"Is there anything I can do?" She knew better than to tell him no. If she did that, then she risked him following her all the way there.

"Yes, you can go to the hospital. Find Dr. Megumi and help her get prepared for the influx of new patients."

They both left the apartment and went their own ways. Yahiko seemed content with his job, since he was still helping. Saito was waiting in the road to give her a ride. He quickly informed her of what they had found.

Once at the warehouse, she greeted the other police. Most of them just knew her as the woman who helped deal with this problem. They directed her towards the group of about ten women. It took a glance to tell her they were already fully trained.

"They are trained," she told Saito. "How long until transport gets here?"

"They should be here soon," he said and moments later two large vans drove up.

"Alright, let's get them loaded up," she said handing him the jar. He nodded and gave some orders. They had been working together for many years, it was how they had become friends. She knew she could trust him to get his men doing the right things which gave her time to look around. This was a den, though she doubted any of them realized that. They probably just thought it was a transition place. But the number of men they had arrested told her it was a den. Which meant there was a basement full of people that she needed to find.

Moving towards the back of the warehouse she stepped behind some crates and looked up towards the Battousai and his friends, who were sitting in the rafters watching. She waved and motioned for them to come down. Only Kenshin did.

"I need to know if there were any oddly placed guards," she said before he could ask any questions.

"What do you mean?"

"Guards that seemed to be guarding an empty space of wall."

"There were two men over there," he pointed to the back wall.

"Show me exactly where they were standing," He hesitated before showing her. The police were too occupied to notice them. Kenshin pointed to where the guards had been, and she set to work feeling around the wall, looking for a lever.

"Why are you here?" Kenshin asked, unsure what she was doing.

"I worked with the hospital to come up with a way to counteract the drug they use. I'm usually called in to administer the first part to the captives before they are taken to rehab. Its herb based so I make it."

"Drug?"

"You think they become like that just because of a sound beating," she indicated the women who were slowly being lead to the van. The police couldn't speak or touch the women for fear of accidently imprinting on them as a master. This made the whole process take a lot longer.

"I guess I didn't think about it. What are you doing?"

"This place is a den. Which means it is a place where they train slaves. Which means there is a basement full of people who are not fully trained yet, got it," she said as her fingers finally found the lever. The door swung open revealing a narrow staircase. Pulling a flashlight out of her pocket she headed down the stairs. Kenshin followed her.

It was comforting to have him there. She could tell he wasn't coming because he thought she couldn't defend herself. He was there to help and because he was curious. This part was never easy, so it was nice to have him there. The kind, handsome man with the uniquely beautiful eyes would definitely help distract her, her brain pointed out before she could stop it. Shaking her head, she forced her brain back to reality and continued down the steps.

It didn't take long before screams and moans of pain started to reach them along with the smell. Karou hated this part, but someone had to do it and she at least knew what to do. At the bottom of the stares they found three large cells. There was no way Kenshin wasn't shocked, but he kept it to himself. The only sign of his discomfort was in his ki and how he gripped his sword more firmly.

The women in the first cell stood silently, their eyes were vacant. The drug had broken them and now they were ready to be trained for whatever they were going to be used for. The second cage was the most violent. Her flashlight showed bodies writhing on the ground while others were fighting each other, acting more like animals than humans. This was theirs brains last ditch attempt to fight the drug. The first cell was where the crying, screaming, and whimpering came from. Bodies were huddled on the ground not moving. This was the first stage of the drug.

"What happened to them?" Kenshin asked. Moving towards the first cell. She knew he was planning on breaking down the door. She grabbed his arm and shook her head, pulling him towards the third cage.

"How long would you last if you were stuck in a never-ending cycle of your worst memories and fears?" she asked him.

"Karou?" Saito called, coming down the stairs. Kenshin quickly tried to disappear into the shadows but there wasn't a lot of room. Saito glanced at Kenshin but didn't say a word, turning his attention back to her. Kenshin was rather surprised at this but she wasn't. Saito was one of the few who though it was a waste of effort trying to catch the Battousai. Their focus on the slave industry and common thoughts on the Battousai were what had made them such close friends.

"I told you it was a den."

"I never doubted you. Neither did Megumi, seeing as she sent two more trucks."

"Good, we will need them. Did you bring my jar?" Saito handed it to her. She took it and headed to the third cage. "You can open this one, and only this one," she told Kenshin. His sword made quick work of the lock.

Saito helped her roll the women over, so she could find their faces. Then she made them drink half a cup of the liquid, rather forcibly. The drink would help make them more lucid, so they could move on their own. After a few women were sitting up and looking slightly more aware, Saito looked at Kenshin.

"Switch places with me so I can start getting them upstairs," Saito said. After some hesitation, Kenshin nodded and moved to help. Saito helped one of the women up and slowly led her up the stairs. The others would be waiting to take her from there. They knew the drill. Karou didn't like having a lot of people in the basement because they tended to get their own ideas and open the other cadges too early, which would be a disaster, so she and Saito worked in the basement and everyone else waited above.

"Why can't I open the other cages?" Kenshin asked her.

"Because they will attack you. The ones in here have only had two or three doses of the drug so they haven't completely lost their minds. It's more like they are in shock. The others are different. Once we get these guys out we will gas the place before opening the other cadges. It's safer that way."

"This is what the drug does?"

"Why spend time breaking the person when you can just destroy them. Then you have an empty shell that you just have to train. Then you don't have to worry about slaves running away and it is a lot less messy."

"Why do you know so much?"

"I've been helping the police for a few years now."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Technically it does, but you know the answer to your question so why do I need to say anything."

"How long ago?"

"When I was 8."

"Were your parents one of the desperate people they prey upon?"

"No," she said tossing her hair over her shoulder. They had two more people before they were done. "My parents were tired of dealing with me and they were offered a fair price for me."

"And the drug?"

"I was one of the first batches they used the drug on. It didn't work on me."

"Why not?"

"I was a child. My world was a little more black and white. I faced my fears every time I came home, and I didn't really have any good memories, so reliving bad memories wasn't that bad. Children's minds are also more resilient. That's why there aren't any here now. They quickly found that it was hard to break a child's mind. So, they took children and had them work until they were old enough for the drug to work."

"Like the pick pocket?"

"Yahiko, and yes. Had he been three years older, we would be finding him down here."

Saito came back down to help with the last two, "Wait two minutes and then come out," he told Kenshin. "We will all be busy getting all of them settled before gassing the place. No one will see you."

"Why aren't you arresting me?" Kenshin asked. Saito looked at her, she shook her head. No, she hadn't told Kenshin. She didn't want to say anything without Saito's permission. Saito just shrugged, telling her he didn't care either way. Then he just turned and headed up the stairs. Saito wasn't big on conversation.

"He is like me when it comes to you," she said slowly coaxing the last woman up. "You would be dead if it weren't for him."

"What do you mean?"

"He helped me get you across town."

"I owe him a debt," Kenshin said not sounding pleased.

"He will never hold it over you. He is a good man. But, if you want to repay the debt then promise me something," Kenshin nodded for her to continue. "If the police ever find out he has helped you, they will kill him. If that ever happens, promise me you will try to help him."

She didn't wait for a reply as she stepped out of the stairway and slowly helped the woman towards the awaiting vans. Saito was true to his word. No one was near the basement entrance, giving Kenshin time to get out before they dropped the gas. Whether he made the promise or not was up to him, but she knew he would. He wasn't the kind of person to turn his back on someone who was good.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's the next one. I know it is a lot shorter, I'm sorry. Thanks for all the reviews :)** **.**

* * *

The Students

The hospital was chaotic, at least the area he was in. He had gotten to the hospital as quickly as he could and had easily found Dr. Megumi. The moment she had heard who he was, she had snorted and said something about Karou and how she was now taking in brats. Suffice it to say, he didn't exactly like her, but Karou had told him to help her, so he did. She had taken him to a separate building that she had just called the Box, telling him this was the first-place people who had been enslaved were taken. Once they were stable, they were sent to smaller rehab centers depending on where they originally came from. The inside of the building was rather colorful. He had just expected more white, like the rest of the hospital.

"Whats with the rooms?" He asked as they passed small rooms with padded walls, celling, and floors. There were no bed or anything else.

"One stage of the drug can be rather violent," she said looking at her phone but not slowing down. "The detox process isn't pleasant either," she said after a moment. "It's easier to do this then tie patients down. This place was expensive to build but not maintain, bindings have to be replaced frequently so it would add up."

"How long does the process take?"

"It depends on how long they have been exposed to the drug. Now, see this rack here," she said pointing to a rack full of sheets. "I need you to make up rooms 30-40. I need you to place a fitted sheet over the mattress, then put a sheet and blanket on the bed. Take a pillow form the closet over there, put a case on it, and put it on the bed," she said pointing while talking. "If a room looks dirty push the call button next to the door."

"I though you said you didn't use beds."

"These rooms are for the patients who have been fully trained."

"Is the detox different?"

"They aren't on the drug. They have been fully broken by it. We simply help them find themselves again."

"How long does that take."

"Honestly, it rarely works. We can usually only get them to a place where they don't see everyone as a potential master. Normally they stay here until we can find family or a permanent place for them to live. Sometimes, over time, they can relearn how to make decisions but most of the time they spend the rest of their lives following orders. Now get to work. When you finish that come find me."

He nodded but his mind was on what she had just told him. They broke people so thoroughly that they rarely were able to come back. Just imaging what the people must act like made him shiver. He was now glad Karou had prevented him from coming to the den.

Karou was annoying and a horrible cook, but she cared. It had been a long time since someone had cared about him. He was never sure how to act. Thankfully, Karou never pushed him. Instead she gave him things to do, made him feel useful. It helped so he didn't feel like he was freeloading. He hated being indebted to people, even someone like Karou who would never hold it over him.

He felt someone behind him right before there was a soft knock. The feeling was fleeting but it was a start. His training was starting to pay off, even if he thought fighting with a wooden sword was pointless.

"Excuse me, Dr. Megumi told me to come help you. I'm Tsubame, I help out. My sister works here." A young girl was standing in the doorway, if he had to guess she was close to his age. She had short hair and was wearing scrubs.

Yahiko found himself unable to talk. She was cute. He opened his mouth to say something but when no words came out he closed it again. Great, he thought, now I look like a fish. Deciding non-verbal communication was best, he nodded and motioned her to come in. She smiled and started helping. They worked in silence until he found his voice again, then they chatted idly. Once he found his voice, he found it easy to talk to her. She was interesting and funny.

He got home before Karou. Megumi had made him and Tsubame leave before the patients showed up. He had walked Tsubame home, he at least knew how to be a gentleman, and then returned home to wait for Karou. She came home looking like hell, she was trying to hide it but was failing. The strong person he had come to know was suddenly so weak. Doing what she did took a toll, she used her strength to hide that toll most of the time, but she couldn't this time. Sometimes you cant catch yourself when you fall and you need someone to catch you, that's what she needed right now, so that is what he would do. She sat down on the couch and put her head in her hands, trying to hide the weakness and become herself again.

Moving to the kitchen he made a pot of the jasmine tea she liked. He took it to the couch, poured her a cup, shoved the cup under her nose, and did the only thing he could think of that would help, talk.

"The hospital was interesting," he said, starting to talk. "Dr. Megumi is an interesting person. She's even more rude than you, which is annoying. At the same time, she doesn't try to pad what she says despite me being a kid. I also met a girl named Tsubame, she's nice."

Karou let out a soft laugh, "Tsubame is a good girl. Her sister works part time at the hospital. Their parents own a restaurant near here. Tsubame works there and helps out at the hospital when they need extra hands. She's cute isn't she," Karou teased.

He fought the blush rising in his cheeks, deciding to ignore her last comment. "She invited us to come eat at the restaurant whenever we want. She says you use to come by a lot more, but she hasn't seen you for a while."

Karou sighed and he kicked himself. Obviously, this was a touchy subject. Good job, he told himself. "I used to go before the dojo burned down. Tae is a good friend. When the dojo burned down, I lost a lot of money because the insurance company didn't pull through."

"Maybe I could start working there part time, when you don't need me. Tsubame said they could use some extra help during rush hour. Then I could bring home some edible food."

Karou smiled at this, "I think it's a great idea." He smiled, he could do something for her for a change. "Then you can really get to know the cute Tsubame," Karou added and he groaned. He wasn't going to hear the end of this any time soon. He shouldn't have told her about Tsubame, but she was smiling and looking better so it was worth it.

* * *

Misao cautiously knocked on the door. She had had an idea, she just didn't know if the others would listen. They still saw her as a child. She knew she could be young and impulsive, but that didn't mean she didn't have good ideas…occasionally. And she was getting better. Aoshi had devoted a lot of time to training her, she had to prove to him that his time hadn't been wasted.

"What is it Misao?" Kenshin called.

"I had an idea about the slaves," she said coming in. Kenshin, Aoshi, Sano, and Hiko-san were all sitting drinking tea.

"What is it?" Aoshi prompted.

"Well I was thinking. The place where they keep the people, with the hidden basement and cadges," Kenshin had showed them once the police had gone. It had been horrifying and she had almost thrown up. Only her training had stopped her for doing so. "There can't be a lot of places like that and building them takes a lot of time. If I was in their shoes, I would just return to the places that had already been busted. The police wouldn't think to look there again since it had already been busted."

"That's a good point. Well done Misao," Kenshin said and Aoshi nodded in agreement. She would have burst into a smile, but that would just make them see her as a child again.

"I was thinking I could break into the police station and get a copy of all the places they have busted. I was able to break in easily last time."

"Sounds good," Kenshin said. "Be careful," she nodded and turned to leave. Aoshi grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Retrieve a list of the places and then come straight back. Do not investigate any of them by yourself," The intensity of her eyes caught her off guard. He was being serious. All she could do was nod and he let go. She would have been upset at Aoshi for not trusting her, except for the fact that such an idea had crossed her mind.

Breaking into the police station was as easy as it had been the last time. They were so sure of their power they didn't even think anyone would try to break in, and since she hadn't left any traces of her last break in, it was easy. Once inside she just had to search the computer. Sano had given her a USB with a program on it that quickly bypassed the computers security. Finding what she wanted, she quickly wrote down the locations of all the places the police had busted and any other useful information.

All in all, it only took her an hour. Returning back, she happily delivered the information. She silently rejoiced when Aoshi complimented her on a job well done. With that complete, she retired to her room for some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the late update, I was traveling. I am always open to suggestions if you want something in the story. No guarantee I will put it in, but I can try. As for Kenshin and Karou, I am getting there I promise. It's just taking longer to get to their relationship than I anticipated.**

* * *

The Missing

He was an idiot. He had known something was off. Felt it in his gut, but he had ignored it. Misao had been too perfect on her last mission. Not once had she let her hyperactive energy get the better of her. She had stayed serious and focused the whole time. It had been strange, but he had just brushed off the feeling, telling himself that she was growing up. Now he was paying the price.

Aoshi turned from the door way. It had been two days since they had last seen Misao, she was officially missing. He had just returned from searching the areas she frequented. She hadn't been there. He needed to let the others know, so they could start searching.

They didn't need to ask when they saw his face, "Is there anywhere else she could have gone?" Kenshin asked.

"Not that I know of."

"So, what do we think?" Sano asked.

"Either she left the city, is lying dead somewhere, or has been caught by someone," Hiko-san said. Aoshi wanted to hit him, but what he said was true. Except for running away. He knew she would never willingly leave the city without telling anyone, no matter what had happened.

"So, we spread out. Look around the city and keep our ears open. Start eliminating places and groups as quickly as possible without letting on what is going on. We have angered a lot of people and they would love to take advantage of this," Kenshin said. Again, Aoshi resisted the urge to punch someone. He knew this is all they could do until they got a clue of what had happened, but it was frustrating. The longer they took the less likely it was that they would ever find her.

After two days of fruitless searching Aoshi was starting to lose hope. They hadn't heard about any dead bodies, so that was a relief. On the other hand, they hadn't heard anything at all. He was beginning to wonder if maybe she had left the city. Maybe the slaves had been too much for her. Maybe he should have tried to protect her from them. He thought she would at least say something before leaving but maybe she thought he would be disappointed. He thought she knew she could always rely on him. She always seemed to know what he was thinking even though he didn't show it. He thought…but now she was gone, maybe he had been wrong, let his emotions cloud his judgement.

"Don't lose hope yet," Kenshin said handing him some food.

"We are running out of places to look," he said, letting his mood get the better of him.

"I was going to head over and talk to Karou, see if she has heard anything."

"Why do you think she would know?"

"Well, she hears more gossip than we do. And she seems to know a lot about what is going on in this city. Do you have a better idea?"

"No."

"Then let's go," Kenshin said, he grudgingly followed.

It didn't take them long to get to Karou's home. Then it was just a matter of making sure there weren't any else there before knocking on the door. Karou let them in without a word, closing the door and locking it before speaking.

"I'm glad you are looking better," Kenshin said before she could speak. Aoshi could tell he had not meant to say anything by the way his ears turned red. Kenshin had been worried about her since the den. He and Hiko-san had had to talk him out of sneaking into her apartment to check on her, telling him she would probably take it the wrong way.

Karou blushed slightly and looked away nodding. After an awkward pause, she collected herself and got down to business. "Why are you here?"

Kenshin shook off the embarrassment, "One of our members, Misao, is missing. We were wondering if you might have heard anything," Kenshin said. Aoshi stayed quiet, leaning against the wall and watching the kid that sat in the living room, watching the conversation. The kid was relaxed but looked ready to jump to the girls aid if necessary.

"She's the one who scared me after my shower?" Kenshin nodded. "I haven't heard anything. When did she go missing?"

"Four days ago."

"No, I haven't heard anything. Yahiko, have you heard anything about a young girl a couple of years older than you?" The boy, Yahiko, shook his head.

"When did you last see her?"

"After she completed a mission for us."

"If you can tell me, what was she doing?"

"We thought it would be a good idea to recheck the locations of dens that had been busted. To see if they were being used again."

Suddenly his mind snapped to what had been bothering him. He stood up abruptly which caught everyone's attention. "Is there a den near the east side tracks?" It was strange that there wasn't a den there. It was a poor part of the city.

"There's an old one I think. One sec, I have the addresses," she said moving to her desk.

"What are you thinking?" Kenshin asked.

"It's where she's from. If she saw there was an old den there, she might have wanted to take care of it herself since it is her home. She cares about the people there. If the den is running again, she could have gotten caught," he didn't let his mind wander to what state she could be in if he was right.

"I have the address. Let's go. Yahiko, I need you to go to Dr. Gensai and ask him to go pick more Castor Oil Plant seeds, then head over to Megumi and let her know what is going on in case we find something." The kid nodded and ran out the door.

"You're coming with us?" Kenshin asked, trying and failing to hide his concern.

"If Aoshi is right, then you will need me," She said grabbing a jug that he assumed was the concoction Kenshin had told them about.

* * *

Kenshin was worried. Not only was Aoshi out of sorts because of Misao, but he was also worried about Karou. She had looked so fragile after the last den. She was looking better now but it had only been a few days and now they were bringing her to another one.

"Why don't you wait outside Miss. Karou, while we check it out."

Karou let out a quiet laugh, "I'm fine Kenshin," she said placing a hand on his arm. "And Karou is fine."

He wanted to order her to stay back but he knew it wouldn't work. She wasn't one of his men. If he tried something like that, he guessed she would charge headlong through the front doors of the den just to prove him wrong. She was a little headstrong when she got angry.

They waited for her police friend to show up before going in. It didn't take them long to find that the den was once again active and to take care of the guards. Karou at least stayed back for the fighting, letting them take care of the guards with guns. He felt her watching him through the fight.

When the fighting was done she was looking at him strangely. Without a word she walked up to him and grabbed his sword. It was startling but thankfully he didn't attack her.

"Your sword, it's a reverse blade, why?" There was no judgement in her voice.

"I don't kill any more."

"Why?" Kenshin wasn't sure what to say. He didn't like talking about his past.

"Maybe we should save this conversation for later," Saito thankfully cut in. Karou nodded and they got to work. He and Aoshi followed her into the basement while Saito called the police and hospital.

"We'll start with the first cage if she's not in there we will have to wait until the police get here before checking the other cadges. If we find her, don't try talking to her," She was mostly looking at Aoshi when she said this.

He started helping Karou with the first cage, Aoshi stayed off to the side and out of the way. "Eichi's here," Saito said joining them once the police got there. Karou did not look pleased about this.

"Is he going to stay up there?"

"He wanted to come down, but I reminded him what happened last time. He wasn't happy, but he agreed to stay up there and help."

"Good," she said, and they got back to work. It wasn't long before they found Misao curled up in a corner. "She's in here, that's good. Not great but better than the alternatives."

"You're not going to give her the drug," he asked when she didn't pour the liquid down Misao's throat as she had done for the rest.

"No. It takes over an hour to get back to my home and its best that she is in a bed before the drug takes effect. Saito can help me get her home. You two will have to meet us there."

"We can take her," Aoshi said.

"There would be multiple problems with that. I want to get the drug in her system as soon as possible and the only way to do that and get her back to my apartment in time is driving. Once we are done here we can leave the rest to Eichi. I'll bring her up and explain what's going on. Use that time to get out of here before they gas it." Aoshi looked ready to hit her. He put a calming hand on Aoshi's arm.

"We will meet you back at the apartment," he said, Aoshi grunted in agreement.

They finished quickly, Karou dosed Misao last before picking up the smaller girl and gently carrying her up the stairs. He and Aoshi waited out of sight at the top of the stairs. It wasn't long before a shouting match started, making it easy for them to leave.

"She's a friend Aoshi," Karou said.

"So, the hospital is the best place for her," a man, who he assumed was Eichi, replied.

"We busted two dens in a week. Megumi is going to have her hands full. I can take care of one person. Besides I know her parents, they would be happier if she was with me."

"You sure you're not just trying to hide another criminal?"

"I don't know Eichi. You're the policeman. Is she a criminal?" There was a long pause. Thankfully they had been able to keep Misao off the polices radar. To his knowledge they didn't know she was tied to them. The man let out a sigh. "Exactly. I know we have our differences but seriously. There are more important things right now."

"Sorry," The man said softly. The startled reaction from Karou told them she hadn't been expecting an apology.

Her posture softened, "It's ok. I'm leaving the rest to you." With that she got into Saito's car and they left.


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's the next chapter. Thanks for all the reviews.**

 **If you can't tell, I like herbs. I find it necessary to point out that the ones mentioned here are very dangerous, so don't mess with them in real life.**

* * *

The Cure

"What would you have done if he had recognized her?" Saito asked as they drove.

She ran a hand over her face, "Honestly I don't know. I just guessed since he has never mentioned her, and I don't think the Battousai would let her get on the polices radar. She's young."

"Old enough to be drugged. Which, in this case, is a good thing. If she were any younger, we would have just found her body." She nodded, and the car fell silent for a while. "Do you want me to come in with you? I doubt her friends are going to react well and technically she's not a criminal so it's not breaking your rules."

"Thanks, but I think that would only aggravate the situation more."

"I'll come back and check on you in a couple days then," he told her as he pulled up. "Be safe and good luck."

"Thanks," she said, and he drove away. Heaving a sigh, she headed to her apartment, this was going to be a long week.

"Is that the girl?" Yahiko asked her as she walked in. "What happened?"

"She was dosed with the drug. Since she is affiliated with the Battousai, it's best to treat her here." She put Misao on the bed and started getting ready.

"Megumi gave me some restraints, I said you would need them," she looked at him. He was young, but he understood what was going to happen. After being to the hospital, how could he not.

"Thanks. It's going…"

"I'm staying," he cut her off. She wanted to send him away, but she couldn't. She had promised he would always have a home here. Forcing him to leave would destroy what little trust she had built over the past few months.

"If that is what you want," The look on his face was confirmation enough. "I'm going to be busy with this so I'm going to need you to keep things running. Cooking, cleaning, and lessons." His chest puffed up at the last part. He didn't have a lot of training, but he could run review lessons. This way she could at least get him out of the house for a little while. "Did Dr. Gensai bring over the seeds?"

"Ya, though not that many," he said showing her the pouch.

"Good," she didn't need that many. She had about fifteen minutes before the drug took effect and about thirty minutes, if they didn't rush, before Kenshin and Aoshi arrived. "I need you to crush two of the seeds, use the pestle with the red tape and wear gloves. No matter what, don't get any of it in your system." Yahiko got to work and she got Misao restrained. Once that was done she went out to help Yahiko.

Kenshin and Aoshi didn't bother knocking when they came in, they were a lot earlier than expected, which was easier in some ways. Misao hadn't started reacting to the drug yet. "She's in here," she said showing them where Misao was. A blanket covered her, hiding the restraints. "You can't go in," she said, stopping Aoshi.

"Why not?" His voice was cold and deadly, but she couldn't back down.

"I can help her. I can bring her back without breaking her. But if you go in there and talk to her, try and bring her back, she will break. And it won't just be what the drug does on its own. No, you would cause her to shatter."

"How do you know that?" Kenshin was now physically restraining his friend. Yahiko did not look happy either but she stood her ground.

"Because you're in love with her," Aoshi deflated. "We tried that, in the beginning. We thought it would be easier for loved ones to help with the suffering caused by the drug. But it didn't. Hearing loved ones call out to them made their suffering ten times worse. In the end they were pretty much brain dead. There will be a time when she will need you, and when that time comes you need to be there. But if you come in before I tell you it is ok, you might as well just kill her."

"How long?" Aoshi said looking defeated.

"It will take ten days to get the drug out of her system. You can come in once she is coherent enough to tell reality from dream. The time line varies from person to person, so you will probably have to wait six to eight days. It would be easier if you were not here."

"I'm not leaving." She guessed this was going to be his response.

"Fine, but I need to know you understand what I said. I need to know that when she starts screaming you aren't going to come running in." Aoshi and Kenshin both paled, "The detox process is not pleasant, for anyone. I need your answer now, she's going to need me soon."

"What about me," Kenshin asked.

"You may not be in love with her, but you are still a loved one."

"I think it would be easier for Aoshi if I was there. I swear I will not say a word to her," She nodded. She had already guessed this would be the outcome. In truth Aoshi was the only one in danger of really hurting Misao because she was in love with him as well. But that wasn't her secret to tell.

"If Kenshin is there I will restrain myself, knock myself out if necessary," Aoshi said. Well there went her attempts at keeping the Battousai's identity a secret from Yahiko.

"Don't make me tape your mouth shut," she said to Kenshin. "Yahiko, follow the directions. If it ends up the wrong color, even by a tiny amount. Throw it out and try again. There are directions for dumping it out safely and whatever you do. Don't get it on or in you." Once she got the OK from Yahiko that he understood. She grabbed Kenshin and they disappeared behind the door.

Once the door was closed and locked she took the blanket away. "Why is she restrained?"

"As I said, detox isn't pleasant."

Kenshin just stared at the restraints. "What does the process entail?"

"I keep dosing her with my concoction until she is lucid. We keep her hydrated and deal with any side effects."

"Side effects?"

"People react to the counter drug in different ways. What I gave her earlier is a weaker version that mainly just helps get them to the hospital. The hospital has a chemical compound that builds off of the dose I give them. Since it is chemical based, the side effects are a little more predictable. We don't have that here. Yahiko is making the stronger variation of this," she indicated the partly filled jug. "Since it is plant based it's not as predictable."

"What's in it?" She moved closer to Misao, who had started twitching, showing that the drug was taking effect.

"Cayenne pepper, licorice, and Ricinus communis. Cayenne induces a fever which helps me tell when it is wearing off. It also prepares the body, letting it know it needs to fight. Licorice helps raise blood pressure, to counteract the Ricinus communis."

"What does that do?" Karou didn't respond at first. Misao was now fully moving, pulling against the restraints. For now, all she would feel is mild discomfort until Yahiko finished the stronger batch. This gave her time to see how Misao reacted to the drug, which would tell her the most likely side effects.

Once she had all of Misao's vitals written down she turned her attention back to Kenshin, "Ricinus communis contains Ricin poison." Kenshin's eyes turned ice cold, like how he had first looked at her. Only his faint trust in her stopped him from hurting her. She couldn't stop the stab of pain in her heart. After everything she had done, he still didn't trust her. "She is trapped inside her own mind. The only thing we have found that brings people back without breaking them is pain. Pain is the one thing that can draw the mind away from whatever it is focused on. The cure is pretty much causing them pain and making their body react to the poison. It pulls them away from their mental suffering long enough for the drug to lose its grip."

"Until she becomes lucid. You said that would take a week. You're going to poison her for a week?"

"As I said. Detox is not pleasant. I'll use the higher dose on her for three days and then, depending on her condition, change the dosage. The concentration is low enough that it's not lethal, but it will cause her pain. If it makes you feel better, she won't remember. The other drug has a strong enough grip on her mind that she will physically remember the pain, but she will not have any memories of it."

"This is the cure?" he asked, looking somewhere between throwing up and attacking her.

"If there were an easier option, we would use it. At least she will come back, they all don't get that option."

Time became a blur of screaming, blood, and vomit. Only Yahiko's periodic bringing of food told them time had passed. Yahiko was pale and she knew he wasn't getting a lot of sleep, but he never complained. If she had enough strength, she would have tried to persuade him to leave. But she didn't, sleep wasn't an option right now. Not when she was the only person with medical knowledge. And she knew Yahiko would never leave, no matter how hard it got. When he came, he gave her updates on what was going on. Aoshi had tied himself to her couch, to stop him from subconsciously entering the room. He wasn't eating. She would deal with that later, when the screaming stopped.

In the brief time between doses, when Misao was not screaming and writhing in pain. Kenshin would lift her up so Karou could change the sheets. Then they would force water down her throat before the next dose, where she inevitably threw most of it up. They had become accustom to the smell of vomit. Kenshin had been worried the first couple times when there was blood in the vomit, but she assured him that, as long as there wasn't much, it was normal.

She would periodically send Kenshin away to get some rest. He was pale and looked like he was going to be sick most of the time, but he always came back. In the times when he was gone, she would sponge Misao off as best as she could. They would give her a proper bath when she was more stable. Right now, Karou just tried to get the worst of it off.

On the first day, Misao had struggled to breath, but that was a common side effect of the counter drug and Karou knew how to deal with it. On the third day, a rash appeared on her arms, but it went away after Karou applied a simple cream. Misao's fever was higher than average but it stayed below dangerous temperatures.

After four days, Karou was relieved that she could decrease the concentration. The screaming finally stopped. Misao was still in pain, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. It gave her time to half sleep and regain some energy. After two more days Misao was slowly becoming conscious. After Misao settled into her first real sleep in over a week, Karou took the time to go deal with Aoshi, Leaving Kenshin alone with Misao with instructions not to speak and to call her if there were any changes.

She felt like a zombie, leaving the room for the first time in six days. They had kept the room dark, so as to not hurt Misao's eyes. She had to blink a few times before her eyes adjusted to the afternoon light. She knew she looked like hell, but Aoshi wasn't looking much better.

Grabbing the food Yahiko had left for him, she shoved it under his nose, "Eat," she commanded. He looked up for the first time and registered she was there.

"How is she?" He asked, sounding desperate.

"You need to eat."

"I can't."

"You can and you will," she pushed her tired mind to keep functioning. "She's going to need you soon. You aren't going to be much help to her passed out on the floor from malnutrition." He slowly reached out and took the food, forcing it down. Karou leaned back, "She's doing better. She's asleep right now, which is a good sign. Give it a day and you can probably come in. I need to ask you; do you know about her past? Do you know her worst memories?" The spoon in his hand froze, "You don't need to tell me, I just need to know if you know."

"I know. At least most of it."

"Good. The drug causes people to relive their worst memories and fears until it is too much for the person to handle and they hide within themselves. The treatment uses pain to force them out of their hiding place. I have forced her back into life, now you will need to talk her through the suffering. You will have to help her put her past back in the past. You will also have to help her through her fears. She will think they are reality for a while. You will have to assuage those fears. Make her feel safe again. I don't know all her fears. But I do know one of them is watching you die and not being able to do anything."

"How do you know?"

"She speaks sometimes. Softly and the words are dis-conjoined, but I figured it out. It is what everyone fears when we have people we care about."

"Is it something you fear?"

"Yes," she stared out the window. She had broken her vow after all, to prevent just such a thing from happening. From the way Aoshi was looking at her, she could tell he knew there was a lot behind that one word, but he didn't push. "Get your strength back and be ready to be there for her." With that she got up and went back into the room.

Karou did not dose Misao with the counter drug again. After 24hours, Misao was still able to recognize faces and that she was in a foreign place. This told Karou that her part was mostly done. She sent Kenshin away to take a shower and get some rest while she gave Misao a bath and cleaned up the room.

Aoshi bolted into the room the moment she told him he could go in. "Keep an eye on her condition, especially her temperature. The drug has a tendency of rearing its head one last time before it's completely out of the body. And keep her drinking water." she told him. Once she got a nod of approval from him, she closed the door and went to freshen up.

She couldn't sleep, not yet, they weren't completely out of danger yet. She could however, put on a clean set of cloths and take a quick shower. Once that was done she laid down on the couch and allowed herself an hour of rest.

* * *

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Kenshin asked when he woke up to find her working. He had been sleeping in what he assumed was her room. It was the one the boy had told him to use. Karou looked exhausted, but she was wearing fresh cloths and didn't look as haggard as she had been.

"Soon, it's not safe yet. Can you bring this tea to them? It should help soothe the pain in her throat from vomiting."

He knocked before opening the door. Aoshi was sitting close to the bed, holding Misao's hand and talking softly to her. Misao was crying, a fact Kenshin pretended not to notice. He told them about the tea and left. That was the most emotion he had ever seen Aoshi show. In order to help Misao, his friend had dropped his mask, making it easier for her to open up to him. He understood why Karou had sent him in, he at least knew them, so it was not as much of an intrusion.

"How are they?"

"Talking."

"Good," she said yawning. She took a big drink from a mug on the counter before busying herself with something else.

"You should really get some rest. I can wake you if something happens."

"That's what I've been saying for the past hour," Kenshin almost fell over in surprise. Had the boy been sitting on the couch the entire time? He couldn't stop the surprised 'oro' from escaping his lips, which caused Karou to laugh. He decided, making her laugh was worth the embarrassment.

"I'll rest when Misao's out of danger." He could tell that fighting her on this would be pointless.

It happened late that night. Aoshi came running out of the room and told them Misao had a fever. He had been sitting on the couch with Karou. Her eyes had been closed but she wasn't asleep. She was up on her feet in an instant.

"Kenshin, I need you to fill the tub with cold water. Aoshi, keep her face and feet cool until the bath is ready." They did as told without question. He trusted her now, they both did. She had gone through all that just to save their friend.

Before long, Aoshi was keeping Misao's head above water as she soaked in the cold bath. Karou kept an eye on her temperature, telling them they just needed to keep her temperature low enough that it didn't cause any brain damage. The fever would burn itself out in a couple hours.

Kenshin became the runner for ice and anything else Karou needed. He now understood why she had spent so much time making things during the day. They were all lined up on the counter and labeled. All he had to do was grab the correct bottle when she asked for it.

A little before sunrise, the fever broke. Karou sat back against the bathroom wall. "Now, she is safe," she said with a sigh. "Go wait outside, I'll get her dried off and changed."

Once Misao was settled back in bed, fast asleep, Karou retired to the couch. Yahiko handed her a cup of tea, "Now will you get some sleep?"

"Now…" she was cut off by a banging on the door. Karou let out a groan, but got up and opened the door. The old man he had seen before stood outside. One of the little girls was in his arms, the other one was standing next to him. Looking sleepy and scared. The one in his arms was coughing and her breathing was raged.

"I'm sorry Karou, my water heater is broken." Karou didn't hesitate, she let them in.

"Yahiko, I need you to get hot water running in the bathroom. I need lots of steam." Yahiko nodded and left. Karou then grabbed his arm and knelt down in front of the other girl, pulling him down with her. "Ayame, this is my friend. He is a great story teller, but he won't tell me any of his stories. Do you think you could pry them out of him while I help your grandfather make Suzume fell better?"

"My name's Kenshin. It's very nice to meet you Miss Ayame," he said holding out a hand to her and smiling. After a moment's hesitation, she took his hand and he picked her up.

Now that Ayame was ok, Karou went with the older man and they disappeared into the bathroom. He took Ayame to the couch.

"Are you ok?" He asked her after a while of silence.

"I need to be strong," she said fighting tears. "I'm the older sister. It's my job to take care of Suzume. But Karou told me to stay out here because she knows I'm not strong enough."

"Now now, that's not what Miss Karou meant. She told the same thing to my friend, and he is strong, that he is. Do you know why she did it," A small shake of the head. "She did that because she wanted him to save his strength. So that when she gets tired he can step in and take her place. We can't expect Miss. Karou to do all the care taking, that we can't."

"So, she doesn't think I'm weak?"

"No, after all, it is not an easy task getting a story out of me," he got a small giggle.

"Do you have lots of stories?"

"I have a few."

Her small hand reached up and touched the scar on his cheek. "Tell a happy one. One where everyone ends up happy." He wondered what kind of life she had lived to be so young and yet say something so beyond her age.

She snuggled further into his lap as he began to speak. It had been a long time since he had made up a story, reading her ki to tell what direction the story should go in. It was peaceful, sitting on the couch with her in his lap. It was a glimpse at the future he hoped to someday have, once all the fighting was done.

It wasn't long before she was fast asleep in his lap. He didn't move for fear of waking her. Karou and the old man alternated between outside and the bathroom. Every time they carried Suzume by, her coughing wasn't as bad, and her breathing sounded more normal.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for the reviews. Enjoy.**

 **I realize I have been spelling Karou wrong. I apologize, but it probably wont change because my computer has already learned the wrong spelling.**

* * *

The Find

He awoke to find a blanket over him and Ayame was gone. He vaguely remembered Karou taking her from his lap once Suzume was doing better, telling him that they would be sleeping in her room. The house was quiet except for some small noises coming from the kitchen. Karou was there, cooking food. He watched as her eyes slowly closed and the mixing spoon stilled. Thanks to his speed, he was able to catch her before she hit the ground. She had hit her limit and passed out.

Her body shook from exhaustion. Gently, he picked her up and carried her over to the couch. It surprised him how light she was. She was far more delicate then she appeared. The way she acted often made her appear larger than she was. Now, with her asleep, he saw who she was behind the strength. She was beautiful, both physically and spiritually. He'd always noticed her pure spirit and how he always felt better, cleaner, after being around it. He hadn't noticed just how beautiful she was. Probably because this was the first time he actually had the time to look at her without her bossing him around. She was delicate, like a flower, and yet as fierce as a cobra. It was an entrancing combination. He would have kept staring at her if the food hadn't started burning.

Returning to the kitchen he tried to decipher what she had been cooking. It was a mystery, so, after concluding exhaustions wasn't going to make her a better cook, he decided it was safer to throw it away and start fresh. He let his mind wander, enjoying watching Karou sleep while cooking. His musings were interrupted when the old man softly came out of one of the bedrooms. His mind pointed out, a little late, that it probably wasn't the best idea for him to be out in the open with strangers in the house.

"That smells good. I didn't know you could cook."

Kenshin was starting to wonder what kind of friends Karou made, "You don't seem surprised to see me." He had thought that the old man had been too distracted to really notice who else was there.

The man chuckled, "No, after all, I helped Karou get you here when you were injured."

"I thought Saito did that."

"Saito got you part of the way. I got you the rest of the way. That way neither of us come under suspicion."

"You willingly helped her help a criminal, why?"

"I have known Karou ever since Koshijiro took her in. She has always been a good judge of character. She has always adamantly defended you. I trust in her judgement." He walked over and readjusted the blanket over her.

"Defended me?"

"Against her friend, Eichi. He is determined to catch you and she has tried to stop him. You're the reason their friendship fell apart, not that I am blaming you."

"I don't understand."

The old man chortled, "You might have met her for the first time a few months ago, but she has been watching over you for quite some time."

"Why?"

"That is her story to tell, not mine." The room fell silent as Kenshin slowly digested the new information. About when he finished with the food, Yahiko came out yawning.

"Dr. Gensai, how's Suzume?"

"She's fine. Croup is rarely serious, steam just helps with the coughing. That's why we came over."

"I'm glad Ugly is finally getting some sleep. You would think with the way she acts, that she was the only one here."

"Yes, she has a tendency of doing that. She used to be better, but when the dojo burned down, she started trying to shoulder everything by herself."

"What happened?" Yahiko asked. Kenshin silently served them food and joined them at the table.

"It happened about a year after Koshijiro was killed. She was doing a fairly good job at keeping the dojo running. As well as a female sword instructor in this day can do. One day, a group of men came to the dojo and insulted it. She, of course, took offence and challenged them. What we didn't realize at the time was that their leader was the son of a rich family. When she beat him, his family took offence and burned the dojo to the ground. The dojo had been in that Kamia family for generations, she was the first outsider to ever be assistant master. She blames herself for not being able to protect the place that took her in. It hurt even more when the insurance company refused to pay for the damages. She lost everything. That's why she tries to shoulder everything. Then if she fails again, she only hurts herself."

"But it wasn't her fault."

"Try telling her that."

* * *

She woke to laughter. Opening her eyes, she saw Kenshin walking around the apartment with Ayame and Suzume on his legs. Dr. Gensai sat at the table, watching them with a smile. This Kenshin was different from the man she had gotten to know. His eyes were no longer the cold eyes of a killer. The gold was replaced with a beautiful purple filled with kindness. For the first time she was looking at Kenshin, not the Battousai. Seeing him now only confirmed what she had always known; he was a man, not a killer. Trying to do what he could to make the world a better place, to repent for the lives he had taken in his youth.

She sat up, alerting them that she was awake. "Where's Yahiko?"

"He went to work, that he did," Kenshin said, untangling the girls from his legs and bringing her some food. It took her a second to register his strange way of speaking. He truly was a different person, even down to how he spoke.

"Now that your awake, we should be going," Dr. Gensai said, ushering his granddaughters towards the door.

"Can we come back and play some more Uncle Ken," Ayame asked. Karou almost choked on her food. Uncle Ken? How long had she been asleep?

"Ya, can we?" Suzume answered. She was back to her usual self, following her sister around and copying what she did.

"Yes you can, but you should always ask your grandfather's permission first, that you should." The two girls squealed in delight. Now she would need to start coming up with excuses as to why 'Uncle Ken' wasn't around.

Dr. Gensai left with the girls and Kenshin came and sat down on the other end of the couch. "Miss Karou?"

"Yes," she said, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. She had already told him to call her Karou.

"One was wondering, that is, Dr. Gensai mentioned some things that one was curious about."

"What is it Kenshin?"

"Dr. Gensai mention that Miss Karou has been watching me. For a while now. Why?"

She had to wonder what else Dr. Gensai had told him. Dr. Gensai could be a bit of a gossip around those he felt comfortable. "I doubt you remember, but we went to school together. Elementary school."

Kenshin's eyes widened as he looked at her. She took that as an invitation to continue, "I don't believe we ever talked or interacted. We were both loners, so we gravitated toward the same areas. Because of that we ended up being near each other a lot.

"When my parents sold me, you were the only person to notice I had gone missing. I guess you noticed my presence as much as I noticed yours. You were the one who alerted the police. Since my parents hadn't filed a missing person's report, it wasn't hard for the police to figure out what had happened and subsequently find the den I was being held in. If it wasn't for you, I would probably be dead or a slave by now. I owe you everything."

Kenshin sat in silence, staring at his hands. She could guess what he was thinking. She knew his name, his real name, or at least the name he went by before Kenshin. That meant she knew his past. Gently she reached out and took his hands, making him look up at her. She smiled, "I don't care about your past. It's who you are now that matters. As I told you before, your name, Kenshin, suits you. It's who you are and that's all I care about. That's the man I choose to save."

He just stared at her as she tried desperately to stop the blush rising in her cheeks. She hadn't intended to say so much. Now she just hoped he didn't see the meaning behind her words. He continued looking at her, she didn't want to disturb his thoughts, so she stayed silent. Taking the opportunity to get a better look at his eyes. They were the strangest color she had ever seen, but they fit him so well.

Slowly his hand rose towards her face. She was unsure what he was doing, but his eyes held her immobilized with their sudden intensity. It seemed to take ages for his had to reach her face, all the while she sat perfectly still. When his had was a hairs breath away from her face, someone cleared their throat behind them. She and Kenshin flew apart.

"Sorry to interrupt," Aoshi said from the doorway. "Misao was wondering if she could have more of that throat tea."

"O…Of course," She stuttered she said getting up and trying to slow her racing heart. She made her way to the kitchen, pointedly not looking at Kenshin. Quickly, she made the tea and gave it to Aoshi, who then promptly closed the door, leaving the room in an awkward silence. She desperately wanted to go back and have Kenshin finish whatever it was he had been doing, but the moment was over.

She stayed in the kitchen, unsure what to do. The silence stretched on until it was broken by footsteps and yelling.

"Shut it rooster," one voice said loudly. Karou could recognize Megumi's voice easily, though she didn't know who rooster was.

"Ya ya fox, whatever. Are we there yet?" Another voice said, making Kenshin look to the door.

There was the sound of someone hitting someone else and a resulting yelp of pain before someone was knocking on her door. "Karou, it's me, let me in."

She opened the door a crack to find Megumi and two other men she didn't know. Megumi pushed past her into the house before she could try and stop her.

"Megumi? What's going on?" She asked, closing the door behind the two men, who followed Megumi inside.

"Sano, Master Hiko, why are you here?" Kenshin said standing up. Karou was now very confused.

"We haven't heard from either of you in over a week. We came to make sure everything was ok," the younger of the two men said. Aoshi opened the bedroom door and silently padded out, nodding to the two men.

"Wait, Megumi, you know them?" Karou said trying to figure out what was going on and how her friend was connected to Kenshin.

Megumi sat down on one of the stools in the kitchen and grabbed the cup of coffee Karou had just made, chugging it. "I know that idiot," she said pointing to the younger, spiky haired man. "He lives near me and comes by five days a week to get me to treat all his injuries. Not like I have anything better to do. I didn't know he was connected to the Battousai until about ten minutes ago when he came banging on my door demanding I take them to you." Megumi was not in a good mood, she was probably as sleep deprived as Karou was.

"How do you know Megumi knows me?" She asked them. She was fairly certain she had kept that connection secret form Kenshin.

"She works with the salves same as you. It wasn't too hard to figure out. Especially after seeing your boy helping her. Now, would you mind telling us how our comrade is doing." the older man said. She could tell he was strong, it practically oozed off of him. He was using his strength and size to intimidate her, but she was too tired to care.

"His name is Yahiko and he is my student, not my boy. I'm not that old. And I don't see why I should be telling you anything until you have introduced yourself. It's proper etiquette, especially after barging into someone's home."

The man in front of her seemed taken aback by her attitude. The younger man laughed, "See I told you," he said. "I'm Sano little missy and that's Hiko-san. Sorry for bothering you but we were worried about Misao."

"She's doing better," Aoshi spoke up.

"When will she be able to come…back?" Hiko-san asked.

Aoshi looked to her but she just shrugged, "My job is done. That's your decision. If you think she is ready to leave, you can leave. If you think she should stay here for a few more days, you can stay."

Aoshi contemplated this, "I think it would be best to stay a few more days, until more of her strength returns."

"I apologize for not getting in contact sooner Master Hiko. Things have been rather hectic, that they have," Kenshin said looking like a child who was expecting to be scolded.

"I expect you to be better from now on," Hiko-san scolded but she could hear the smile in his voice. "I apologize for the intrusion," he said and with that he and Sano left. Aoshi quickly returned to the bedroom and Karou followed him, figuring she should check up on Misao.

* * *

He was left alone in the room with the one Karou had called Megumi. She got up and approached him, "Since the opportunity arose I will say what I have been wanting to say to you for a while. If you hurt Karou, I will make you regret it."

"Oro," he said, not understanding why a complete stranger was threatening him.

"She broke her vow to save you. I hope you know that. She is foolish and headstrong, but she is a good person. So, if you hurt her, if you trample on her heart, I will make you regret it."

"One does not…"

"Shut it," she said. Looking into her eyes he understood. Somehow her sharp eyes had perceived what he himself was still trying to understand. "She is my friend and as her friend it is my job to protect her."

He nodded his head, "One understands, that one does. If it is any reassurance, one prefers Miss Karou's smile, that one does."

"Then you better protect it," Megumi said backing away. His response seemed to satisfy her. "I should get going."

"Miss Megumi?" He called, remembering his question.

"Yes?"

"What vow?"

"Megumi, what did you tell him," Karou hissed closing the bedroom door.

"Only what I needed to say," Megumi said with a smirk and left. The room fell quiet as Karou busied herself in the kitchen, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"Miss Karou," He said approaching her slowly. She looked at him then, waiting for him to continue. "Miss Megumi mentioned that Miss Karou broke a vow to save me. What vow?"

"It's nothing Kenshin. You don't need to worry about it," She said reaching for a cup.

He grabbed her hand, "Please." He needed to know what she had done for him, so he could understand her better. She nodded and met his stare with a fierce determination in her eyes.

"When I started this," she motioned to the apartment. "I swore to stay neutral. Since I work with people from both sides of the law I swore I would never share what I learned from the criminals to the police or vice versa." She took a deep breath before coming, "My friend Eichi, the policeman from earlier. He came to visit me a few days before you were injured. He came to brag about his newest plan to catch you. I knew it would probably fail, but that you would get injured.

"I debated trying to get in contact with you to warn you, but that would be breaking my vow. So, I decided to set up appointments on that side of town that night. So, I could be there to help you. Technically, since I didn't share any information, I never broke my vow. That's just how Megumi see's it."

He let his hand move from her hand to cradle the side of her face. She let him. So, he pushed further. Taking a step closer to her, he rested his head on her shoulder, and breathed in her scent. She smelled like her home, like her herbs.

How had he spent his life not knowing her? She knew his past and yet didn't judge him for it. All she saw was who he was now. She had risked so much to save the man she saw in him. She had seen a man worthy of being saved and had broken her vow to save him. He could only hope that he would one day be that man. That he would be worthy of the faith she had in him.

He stayed where he was, enjoying the closeness. She stayed still for a while but eventually she started shaking and burst out laughing. He stepped back in confusion and hurt.

Her face was flushed, and her eyes were bright, "I'm sorry," She chuckled. "Your hair was tickling me. I tried to hold it in, but I couldn't."

He laughed then to. She wasn't laughing at his actions. She was laughing because of his hair not his actions. This laugh was his, he had brought it into being, no one else, and he reveled in it.


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm traveling right now so updates might be less frequent. I promise it will go back to normal in April. Thanks for the comments. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The Calm

Misao was recovered, at least Aoshi deemed her ready to go on missions again. But she wasn't allowed to go by herself. Kenshin was surprised on how well she was doing, after everything she had gone through. But Kaoru had been right, she didn't remember most of it. There were times when her smile fell, but Aoshi was always there for her.

Life continued. They did what they always did. Protecting people and doing what they could to help. The only change was they started working with Saito through Kaoru. Saito kept her informed of things going on that the police deemed not worth their time. She then conveyed what she had learned to them, so they could do what they could.

Through this partnership they were able to expand. No longer were they only focused on only one part of the city. As their reach grew, so did their support. Only the police and those in the upper class still saw them as criminals. Everyone else started to see them as the good guys. They were the ones willing to fight the system, willing to help those everyone had turned their backs on. Slowly people started to unite behind them. People started to listen. It was slow, painstakingly slow, but they could feel things starting to shift.

He had started spending more time with Kaoru. He said it was because someone needed to keep in contact with her to get information, and he knew her the best. But everyone knew it was because he enjoyed being with her. He also didn't want to leave her alone to deal with Ayame and Suzume.

When the girls had first asked to play with him, he had known it was a bad idea, but he couldn't resist. Now it was his responsibility to help Kaoru manage them. The last thing any of them needed was for the girls to start talking about him.

"Say hello to the little missy for me," Sano called out as he left, the laugh evident in his voice. He wanted to retort about a certain doctor Sano had been hanging out with more, but he didn't. Sano always won and Kenshin always walk away with a red face.

He made his way slowly across town and to her apartment window. If there was a plant in the window, just visible through the window shade, it meant she was busy and he would have to wait. Once he saw there was no plant, he let himself in. No one was there, which he had expected. She normally had lessons around this time. He busied himself tidying up what he could.

It was easy to tell when she was coming back. He knew her ki and she was almost always arguing with Yahiko. They walked in, not startled that he was there.

"Hay," Yahiko said in greeting before heading to the bathroom.

"No Ayame and Suzume today?" he asked.

"No, they are out with Dr. Gensai. I think they finally understand that they shouldn't talk about you. We turned it into a game. Now we only need to worry about them talking to someone they trust, which mostly consists of people who already know."

"I am glad, that I am," he said bringing over some tea. "How is Yahiko doing?"

"Don't tell him, but he is doing well. Better than I expected. He learns fast and is stubborn as a mule. He has also taken to walking around with his shinai…all the time, even when he goes to work. It took two days of arguing before he finally agreed to walk around the city with it wrapped up. It probably helped that Tsubame was on my side."

He laughed, "One remembers doing something similar. It is a good way to get used to the weapon."

"I agree," Kaoru said smiling. "But he does get quite a few confused looks."

They fell into companionable silence. Neither of them finding a need to speak. Over the past weeks they had talked a lot. By now they knew that if the other wanted to talk, they would. Otherwise, neither of them found a need for small talk.

She had told him about her birth parents and how they hadn't cared about her existence and how they had taken their anger out on her. Not physical but verbally. But mostly she talked about Koshijiro and how he had shown her love and taught her swordsmanship and how to stand up for herself. From the way she talked, it was easy to tell how much she cared for Koshijiro and how much she missed him. So much of who she was today was because of what he had taught her. Kenshin wished he could have met him.

He told her about the three women who had taken him in after his parents died. They didn't have much, but they did what they could to support him. Then he had met Master Hiko, who took custody of him. He started learning swordsmanship. Everything was going well until the three woman who had been taking care of him were killed. His anger had driven him to leave Master Hiko to work for the elites. He didn't like talking about that time, but he answered her questions if she had any. She usually respected his silence.

After that time, he returned to Master Hiko, hoping to find who he was again. It had taken a while to regain his masters trust. It was during that time that Master Hiko gave him his new name. Saying he needed a clean break from who he was. Master Hiko scoffed at his resolution to not kill, but continued training him none the less, saying training a new disciple was too troublesome.

Eventually Yahiko came out of the bathroom. He took one look at them sitting on the couch, smirked, and disappeared into his room. Kaoru muttered something under her breath about payback. He was glad he wasn't in Yahiko's shoes.

The day past calmly. He enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of her home. So different than where he lived. He helped her when she let him and watched when she didn't. It was amazing how easily she made remedies from memory.

* * *

"What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" She asked Eichi, bringing over some tea. Yahiko was in the kitchen, alert but willing to let her handle her friend.

"I wanted to apologize for my actions earlier. I would have come earlier but then the Battousai became more active and I got busy."

"Apology accepted," she said. So far, the air was civil.

"How is everything going here?" He asked cautiously. It seemed he was also trying to avoid conflict.

"Same as always." She wasn't sure what to ask in return. His life revolved around catching Kenshin and that was a bad topic.

"No one giving you trouble?"

"Nothing I can't handle." The room fell into an awkward silence which was finally broken by Ayame and Suzume running in. Kaoru was on her feet in an instant. This was not good.

"Is Uncle Ken here?" Ayame asked before Kaoru could say anything.

"Uncle Ken?" Eichi asked.

"He's our friend," Ayame supplied.

"Our friend," Suzume said.

"I don't think he is coming today but I can play with you. We can go to the dojo," Yahiko said. She blessed his quick thinking. It almost worked, except for Ayame mentioning Uncle Ken's magical red hair before Yahiko could distract her with playing. The change in Eichi was immediate, even the girls noticed.

She placed a hand on Yahiko's shoulder as she passed him to put herself between the girls and Eichi, "Saito," she whispered. His shoulder stiffened in acknowledgement. He then quickly ushered the girls outside.

"Red hair?" Eichi hissed.

"You know the rules," she said trying to calm the situation.

"Damn the rules. You already broke them. You let a criminal interact with those children. Though maybe you don't see it as breaking the rules. After all, one a pick pocket and the other two are the children of…"

She knocked him to the ground, "Don't you dare talk about their parents that way."

"You protect the children of criminals and you took in a thief. I should have known you would betray me."

Her temper flared, "Don't you dare talk to me about betrayal. I came to you when they burned the dojo. I asked you to help me find justice. You turned me away, taking their money instead. I owe you nothing."

He pushed her off and stood back up, "He's a murder."

"No, he's not. He was an assassin. At least he regrets what he did. I can't say the same for you."

He was livid, "How dare you. I follow the law. I don't kill people."

"You follow a law that lets people die. You turn your back on those that truly need you. People die because of your actions. It's the same thing. Things need to change. The Battousai sees this."

His eyes widened, "It's you. You're the reason the Battousai is gaining support." She didn't say anything. "I'll make sure you regret helping him."

"You have no proof," she said. He just glared at her. After a moment he pushed past her and out the door.

She would need to warn Kenshin. Eichi would be watching her house carefully. As long as he didn't get any proof, she was safe. She only hoped Yahiko had had enough time to contact Saito. If Eichi hadn't figured out Saito's role, he would soon.

Sighing, she sat down. This mess was her fault. She should have been stricter with the girls. Should have told Kenshin to stop showing up so they would stop looking for him. But instead she had let her emotions decide and now everything was a mess.

Grabbing her computer, she used the method Kenshin had shown her to contact him. He had taught it to her in case of emergencies, like this one.


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry for the delay. I am done traveling so it should go back to updating weekly. Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The Storm

Things had been tense since Eichi had shown up, but nothing happened. Kenshin stopped showing up, much to the disappointment of the girls, so he was left to entertain them. Kaoru had assured him that Eichi couldn't do anything without proof. After all, there was more than one red haired man in the city. She continued her lessons and he continued working. He occasionally saw Eichi watching them from a distance. His anger was always easy to detect. Saito had gotten away safely, to their knowledge. He had cut off contact to be safe.

"Yahiko can you clean the room," Kaoru asked him as she cleaned her tools. He nodded, he knew the process by now.

Things happened in a flash. There was a loud bang as someone kicked the door in. The noise startled him, and he tripped over the sheets he had piled on the floor, falling into the closet. Kaoru shouted something but was cut off part way through. There was a distinct sound of someone being hit. He struggled to get back on his feet to help Kaoru.

"Search the place for the boy," A male voice said. And he could hear people moving around.

He couldn't hear Kaoru or any sounds of a struggle. She was probably unconscious, he wouldn't let his brain consider any other options. He wanted to run out and face them, to save Kaoru, but they had taken care of her so easily. What chance did he stand? He had a second to decide what to do before they came in. Gritting his teeth, he took the option he hated. Reaching the back of the closet he opened the hidden door and crawled inside.

Tears of frustration ran down his cheeks as he heard the men searching the apartment. Hiding was the coward's way out. Kenshin wouldn't have hidden. But he wasn't Kenshin. If he did what his pride wanted, there was a good chance he would end up like Kaoru. Then no one would be able to tell Kenshin, and someone needed to do that. Kenshin and his friend would be able to help. He knew Kaoru would be proud of the choice he made, but he still hated himself.

"The kids not here," another voice said.

"Then we check where he works. You two, go to where he works and figure out where he is," the first voice said. Yahiko's blood ran cold. Tsubame was there.

I'm sorry Kaoru, he thought. He couldn't turn his back on two friends. Only two of them were going to the restaurant. He stood a chance if he could fight them one on one. Once the men had been gone for a while he left his hiding place. His heart soared when he didn't find Kaoru's body or blood outside. Whoever they were, they wanted them alive. Taking every shortcut he knew, he ran to the Akibeko.

He ran to the back of the Akibeko to find Tsubame and her sister standing outside, facing down two men. The men were large and intimidating but the girls stood their ground.

"We don't know who you are taking about," Tsubame said.

"Come on girls, you gain nothing by protecting him. It will be much less painful if you just tell us where he is."

"Behind you," Yahiko said. Attacking them from behind would have been easier for him but his honor wouldn't let him. The two men turned around and smiled. He didn't need to sense ki to know they were dangerous and that he was facing them down with a wooden sword. But it was better than watching them hurt his friends.

"Remember, we can't kill him," one said to the other.

They attacked, and he block to the best of his abilities. Using what Kaoru had taught him about using his opponents force against them. His smaller size helped him dodge blows and nimbly move around them. They landed blows, he wasn't skilled enough to block everything, but his time on the streets had taught him how to take a beating. They landed blows, but he stayed on his feet.

Finally, he was able to knock over one of the men which gave him the opportunity to focus on the other. They didn't see him as a threat, so they weren't taking him seriously, which meant there were holes in their defenses. He just needed to find one he could use. Seeing an opening, he took it and delivered a hard blow to the man's temple. He dropped to the ground.

Unfortunately, the other man was back on his feet by then and he sent him flying with a hard blow to his side. Yahiko stared up at the man, momentarily stunned. He knew the other man would knock him out before he could get back on his feet. Kaoru would scold him later for leaving himself open like that. His body tensed in preparation for the strike to come but it didn't. Instead the man jerked suddenly as something hit his head and he fell to the ground. Tsubame and Tae stood where the man had been standing, holding a wooden log that they had used to strike the man.

"Yahiko!" Tsubame said running to his side. "Are you ok?"

"Ya," he said sitting up and shaking his head to clear it. "Are you two?"

"Were fine," Tae said. "Who were they?"

"I don't know. They broke into our apartment and took Kaoru."

"Oh my, we should call the police," Tae said.

"No," Yahiko said. His gut was telling him Eichi was behind this. "Kaoru and her police friend had a falling out." Tae nodded.

"So, what do we do?" Tsubame asked.

"I need to go find Kaoru's friend," he said trying to stand up but falling over. He had hit his head pretty hard.

"You need to sit for a while," Tae said going into nurse mode. "You probably have a concussion. Wandering around in your condition would probably end up with you lost and unconscious. I'll go grab some ice and the first aid kit. Tsubame, you help him upstairs."

He wanted to just ignore her and leave, but his inability to stand up made it impossible. So, he let Tsubame help him upstairs into their house. The moment his head was clear, he would go find Kenshin. He didn't know where to look, but he would keep looking until he found them.

* * *

It had been three days since they had heard from Kaoru. Kenshin was worried but there was nothing he could do. Trying to contact her would only make her situation worse. So, he waited and worried. After hearing from Kaoru, they had tried to fine Saito to make sure he was ok, but he had vanished. This only mad him worry more.

"Worrying isn't going to help," Master Hiko said.

"I know. But not worrying is hard, that it is."

"Your woman is strong. Have a little more faith in her."

"I do, but I still worry. And she is not mine," Master Hiko just snorted.

"I could ask Megumi if she knows anything," Sano said joining them.

"That could put Miss Megumi in danger."

"Well I'm heading home for a bit, so I'll ask her if I see her. No harm in that. I'll make sure she knows the danger," Sano said.

"Make sure you're not being followed," Aoshi said.

"Ya ya," Sano said waving and left.

The room descended back into silence and Kenshin returned to worrying. They were all on their feet, hands on weapons, when they sensed a foreign ki appeared. Whoever they were, they were strong. There was a light rap on the door. Kenshin moved to look through a hidden peephole they had installed near the door. If it weren't for their ki, he would have guessed it a local drug dealer by the wooden box he carried on his back. Their face was hidden by a hat.

Once everyone was in place, Aoshi moved to open the door. "Can I help you?"

"Can I interest you in any pain medicine? It comes at a discounted price," the man said. He recognized the voice.

"Saito?" he said, coming out of his hiding place.

Saito met his eyes and smiled. Now that they knew who he was, they quickly brought him inside. Aoshi and Misao left to make sure he hadn't been followed.

"How did you find us?" Master Hiko asked, still on edge.

"Not easily. I've spent the last three days looking. I wasn't sure this was it. I just guessed based on the guy who left earlier."

"You're a swordsman?" Master Hiko said, not relaxing. The sword on Saito's back had been hidden by the box. Kaoru hadnt told him anything about that.

"I have studied my whole life but it is of little use in todays world," He took the sword off his back and handed it to Master Hiko. "If it makes you more comfortable." Master Hiko took the sword and relaxed.

"Have you heard anything from Miss Kaoru?"

"No, I cut off contact after Yahiko called me to keep her safe. I apologize for showing up like this, but it seemed like the best option."

"Its fine," he said once he got Master Hiko's silent approval. "We tried to find you once we heard from Miss Kaoru, but you had already disappeared."

"I got out the moment Yahiko called me."

"Well, welcome. Come sit and join me for a drink," Master Hiko said. "Kenshin, go on patrol before you worry a hole through the floor.

He nodded and left. Master Hiko wanted him to leave before he started badgering Saito with questions. He wandered around the city keeping his eyes and ears open but otherwise didn't have a goal in mind. Eventually he found a nice place to sit, out of eyesight from prying eyes, and he sat down and watched the city. He didn't dare go anywhere near Kaoru's home, but he could look towards it.

The day went by and he stayed where he was, not finding a reason to move. When the sun started to set he decided he should head back before the others started to worry. Slowly he started to meander his way back. Not long after he started walking, he heard crying. Cautiously, he went to investigate. There were two small figures crouched in an ally way, they had to be children. Checking for any obvious signs of a trap, he slowly approached, staying in the shadows.

One of them said something he didn't catch. The other one then stood up, pulling the smaller one up. "I'm hungry too but we can't stay here."

His eyes widened, "Ayame?" He said quietly. They turned around quickly and looked at him with wide, frightened eyes. It was hard to see them in the dark, but it was them. Ayame was holding Suzume's hand. Suzume was in tears. Ayame looked close to tears but she was fighting them back with all her might.

"What are you two doing out here alone?" He asked kneeling. His senses stretched as far as they could to make sure no one was there. The moment they recognized him, they ran over to him. Ayame finally let her tears out. He picked them up and moved further into the ally, so they were fully in the dark.

"You're ok, that you are. Did you get lost?" They were too upset to listen, so he just let them cry until they started to calm down. "We should get you two home, that we should." This caused Suzume to start crying again, much to his confusion.

"We can't," Ayame said.

He tried to get more of an explanation, but she just started crying again. Their crying would start attracting more attention, so he decided to bring them back with him until they calmed down enough to tell him what was going on. Then he would worry about getting them home.

"We are not an orphanage," Master Hiko said when he walked through the door. The girls had calmed down, but he didn't want to risk them crying again. Not where it wasn't safe. He didn't need them seeing that side of him.

"I didn't know where else to bring them," he said, setting the girls down on the floor. They were timid around Master Hiko, but not intimidated. The others were sitting around the room, watching the girls. They had been in the middle of dinner when he had come in.

"And who might you be," Master Hiko said crouching down so he didn't tower over them. He could be intimidating and unfriendly, but he wasn't mean to children. Especially ones as frightened as the girls.

"I'm Ayame and this is my sister Suzume," Ayame spoke up. "Are you a friend of Uncle Ken?"

"You must be the little missies Kenshin talks about," Sano said. "What are you two doing out so late?"

"We were looking for Uncle Ken," Ayame said, her eyes started to fill with tears again.

"Why were you looking for me?" He asked sitting down next to her. Suzume started crying again which caused Ayame to start crying. Misao was there in an instant. Picking Suzume up and speaking to her softly to calm her down. He reached out and rubbed Ayame's back, trying to calm her down so she could tell him what was going on.

"The bad men," she choked out. "W-we hid. Kaoru and Yahiko weren't there. I didn't know what else to do."

"Did bad men come to your home and hurt Dr. Gensai?" A nod and a shake of the head.

"They came and took him away. They made him fall over first," he interpreted this as they knocked him out. "Are they going to hurt him like they did our parents?" His heart ached for her, he didn't know what happened to her parents, but they were gone and from the sound of it, not by accident.

"I don't know," he said, unwilling to lie to her. "But I'm going to do everything I can to make sure he comes home safely. Why didn't you wait for Miss Kaoru?" This brought another wave a crying which caused his heart to sink. If something had happened to Dr. Gensai, had something happened to Kaoru?

"Was the missy not there?" Sano asked, Ayame nodded. "How did you know she wasn't coming back?"

"The door was broken, and everything was messy."

Kenshin went numb, something had happened. He should have tried to contact her, just to make sure she was safe. It felt like the floor had just fallen out from under him. His mind was spinning, and he struggled t focus, but he did. Ayame needed him right now, he couldn't lose it.

"You were very brave Ayame. Your safe now, that you are," he glanced at Misao. She nodded in understanding and quickly ushered the girls out of the room.

Sano jumped suddently to his feet, "Megumi wasn't home earlier. I didn't think much about it, but she doesn't normally have work then. I'm going to go check on her," he said and left. If the circumstances had been different, Kenshin would have teased him about knowing Megumi's schedule.

"What is going on," Master Hiko asked once they were out of earshot. "Is this the work of the police?"

Saito shook his head, "But Eichi could be behind this."

"When did Eichi come into this?" He asked, obviously he was missing something.

"Saito told us earlier about how Eichi found out about Kaoru's connection to you and how that caused her to cut off contact," Aoshi supplied.

"She didn't break the law, so he couldn't do anything as a policeman. He might have decided to take matters into his own hands. It sounds like he is solely set on catching you," Master Hiko added.

"But why would he go after Dr. Gensai, Yahiko, and maybe Megumi?" He asked.

"They are her closest friends. He might have assumed that they knew something," Aoshi said.

"Will he hurt them?" He asked fighting down his emotions.

"I don't think so," Saito said. "He cares for Kaoru, even if she betrayed him. He probably wants to use her to lure you guys out. Either you try to save her and maybe get caught or he destroys her trust in you. Either way he wins," Saito said.

"He is willing to indanger his friend and break the law just to catch Kenshin, why?" Master Hiko asked.

"I don't know. That would be a question for Kaoru."

"Do we know who is helping him?" Aoshi asked.

"Kaoru has many enemies, my guess is they are connected to the slave market," Saito said.

"So in order to help them, we need to find the people we have been unsuccessfully hunting for months," Master Hiko said bluntly.

"Or find Eichi," He said, desperately trying to keep his emotions under control. He couldn't lose it, not again. He might not be able to come back a second time.

"Lets compare information tonight and tomorrow we will start searching," Master Hiko said. Kenshin wanted to leave now and start searching but that would not help.

"The girls might know more than they think. I'll get Misao to talk with them tomorrow," Aoshi said.

"Is there anyone else he might target?" He asked Saito.

Saito sat in silence for a while before speaking, "Not that I know of. Maybe Tae but I doubt it."

"We should check on them none the less," he said.

"I'll go," Aoshi said, standing up. After getting a nod of confirmation from Master Hiko, he left.

"Now, Saito, tell us everything you know about the slave trade and Eichi," Master Hiko said. Kenshin settled himself against the wall to listen. His hands fiddled with the piece of string he had pulled from his pocket. It was the same string Kaoru had used to tie his sword shut when they first met. It was his only connection to her, and right now he needed anything he could get to keep his emotions calm.


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry its kind of short. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The Wakening

He had fallen asleep, how had he let himself do that. No one was in the room with him. His head still hurt, but not as badly. Pulling himself out of the bed Tsubame had given him, he went in search of her and her sister. He was angry at himself for falling asleep when Kaoru needed his help and angry at them for encouraging him to. He knew they were only trying to help, but Kaoru needed him. Didn't they understand that?

He followed the sound of voices to the back of the restaurant, staying hidden until he knew what was going on.

"Why should I tell you anything? Sneaking around like that and startling us," Tae said.

"I apologize for scaring you," Aoshi said. Yahiko let out a sigh of relief, if Aoshi was there they he could find Kenshin. All the anger left him in a rush and left him unable to move for a second.

"That still doesn't explain why you snuck in here and started asking strange questions," Tae said.

"Tae, he's a friend," he said, finally walking out. Tae was standing protectively in front of her sister while Aoshi stood still on the other side of the yard. Trying and failing at looking harmless.

"Yahiko, how are you feeling?" Tsubame asked running up to him.

"Better thanks to you two," he said.

"Yahiko, you say you know this man?" Tae asked, Aoshi was silent as always.

"He's an acquaintance of Kaoru's," Tae nodded, accepting this answer. "Kaoru was taken," he said facing Aoshi. He couldn't exactly say he needed to talk to the Battousai while in front of Tae and Tsubame. Ignorance kept them safe. He knew Aoshi would understand what he needed.

"We know," Aoshi said coming closer. "Dr. Gensai and maybe Megumi were also taken."

"Megumi was taken? What's going on?" Tae asked.

"Maybe we should discuss this inside," Tsubame said. After she got approval from her sister, they all went inside. He quickly told them what had happened with Eichi, leaving out that it was Kaoru helping the Battousai that angered him so much. Aoshi then filled them in on what Ayame had told them.

"We are still trying to figure out where they have been taken," Aoshi finished.

"Well the two men who attacked us earlier might be of some help," Tae said.

"Where are they?" he asked.

She lead them outside to the shed, revealing the two men tied up inside. They were expertly bound so they had little ability to move.

"Kaoru's not the only one with secrets," Tae said at their confused looks. "We've kept them unconscious with that," she said indicating the smoking plants near the door. "Shall we wake them up and see what they know?"

Aoshi shook his head, "They won't talk."

"Then what do we do?" he asked.

Aoshi pulled out some paper and a pencil, writing something down. "You are to go here. As for them. We untie them and let them wake up normally."

Tae smiled, "Then all you need to do is follow them as they run back to their leader with their tail between their legs." Aoshi nodded, a look of approval on his face. Yahiko started to wonder if he ever really knew Tae. "Well then, shall we get these men untied and then we will be on our way."

"But," he started to say but Tsubame cut him off.

"They are our friends too. We want to help." Now he was wondering if he really knew Tsubame.

"Besides, I'm sure you can use the help and it is probably safer for us to be near the Battousai anyway." He was speechless. How had they known about Kenshin, he had been so sure to make sure not to say anything. Aoshi just nodded, if he was surprised, he didn't show it.

Before long they left Aoshi to watch over the unconscious men while they worked their way towards the address Aoshi had given them. Tae and Tsubame moved with more speed and stealth then he ever thought them capable of. He was slightly hurt that Tsubame had never told him about this. But at the same time he understood, keeping your secrets close is what kept you safe.

When they got close they ran into Sano who looked somewhere between angry and lost.

"What are you doing here kid?" He asked.

"Aoshi sent us here. What's wrong?"

"They got Megumi."

"She's strong," Tae said, trying to reassure him.

Sano bristled, "Who are you?"

"They are friends," he cut in quickly. Sano looked ready to attack them.

Sano didn't look pleased, but he backed down. They followed him the rest of the way to a large but unassuming house. After a quick negation on who everyone was, they were ushered inside.

* * *

Kaoru woke to a pounding head and aching stomach. It took her a second to remember what had happened. As the memories slammed back into her head with force, making her headache worse, she got to her feet.

"Yahiko?" she called softly, there was no response. That caused the dread to increase in her stomach. If he wasn't here, what had they done with him? She hoped with all her might that he had just hidden and stayed out of harm's way, but she knew her student. He was stupidly brave.

She sunk slowly back to the ground fighting tears. It was her job to protect him and she had failed. She hadn't even been able to fight the men who broke into her apartment. What kind of swordsman was she if she couldn't even protect her home and her pupil. It was happening again, she lost her home and people she cared about. She wanted to just curl up in a ball and give up, but she couldn't. Yahiko was out there somewhere and needed her help. She refused to let herself think that he was dead. Slowly she calmed her emotions, she couldn't do anything for Yahiko until she helped herself.

Looking around she saw nothing, it was almost pitch black where she was. A small amount of light in the distance was the only thing she had to see by and it did nothing to illuminate her current situation. The floor was made of dirt, she could tell that with her hands. Slowly she stood up and moved forward, sliding her feet and waving her arms in front of her. Eventually she came to some bars, turning she followed the bars until they intersected another set of bars. She followed those until she tripped over something.

"Watch it," the person she had just tripped over snarled.

"Megumi?"

"Kaoru? What are you doing here?" Megumi asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," she said seating herself next to Megumi.

"Some men came to my home and knocked me out. I woke up here."

"Same thing happened to me. Do you know what they want?"

"I would guess it has something to do with..."

"But then why would they take you. I'm the one connected to them," she said understanding what Megumi was saying.

"Maybe they guessed I knew something too," Megumi said with a shrug that said they wouldn't be wrong if they thought that. She understood what Megumi was getting at. They had to watch what they said, who knew who was listening in the dark.

"Maybe you should fill me in on everything that has happened since we last met, so I don't feel as much in the dark," Kaoru quickly filled her in on what had happened with Eichi. In a quieter voice she told Megumi how she had cut off contact with Kenshin for safety.

"So, you think your friend Eichi is behind this?" Megumi asked.

"Maybe. I'd like to think he isn't but it's the only explanation that makes sense. Did you get a look at the men who took you?"

"No, it happened fast, all I know was there was a group of them."

"That's what happened to me. They broke my door down," she said angerly. That was going to cost a lot to fix.

A low groan alerted them to the presence of another person. Slowly they made their way towards the voice. They found someone on the floor and slowly helped them sit up.

"Where am I?" They said.

"Dr. Gensai?" She said, and more dread settled in her stomach. They wouldn't hurt Ayame and Suzume would they?

"Kaoru? What's going on?"

"That's what we are trying to figure out," Megumi said. "Are you feeling ok?"

"I have a headache but otherwise I feel fine. You're here too Megumi? Is anyone else here?"

"Not that we know of," Kaoru said. "Did men break into your house as well?"

"They did. What about Ayame and Suzume? Have you seen them?" Dr. Gensai asked getting frantic.

"No. I can't find Yahiko either," she said putting a hand on his back to calm him down.

"You don't think they would hurt them, do you?" Megumi asked.

"I don't know. But if they did, they will pay," she said choosing anger over fear.

They fell into silence, all with their own thoughts. Eventually she moved away to continue her circuit of their cell. It wasn't that large, and she didn't trip over any more people. They were alone against whoever had taken them.

She had cut off contact with Kenshin, so he won't know anything happened. It was good because they were probably after him. It was bad because he wouldn't know she needed help. It was up to her to get out of here. By herself or even with Megumi, she could figure it out. But Dr. Gensai was old. He couldn't fight or run fast, and she wasn't leaving him behind. She didn't know if she could keep them all safe let alone escape. Her breathing started to pick up as her mind raced through what she knew and reasons why they had all been taken.

She finally noticed she was hyperventilating when she started to get light headed. She pulled her knees up and rested her head on them, focusing on calming her breathing. Now was not the time to lose it and start panicking.

A hand came to rest on her back. "We'll figure out who they are and what they want. Then we'll figure the rest out," Megumi said.

"How can you be so calm?"

"I'm not," Megumi said, and she could feel the hand on her back shaking. "But unlike you I'm not trying to figure out everything on my own."

"Sorry," she said, putting a comforting arm around her friend. It was rare for Megumi to show such emotion. It showed how scared she truly was. They were all scared, for themselves and for those they cared about. But Megumi was right, trying to figure this out on her own wasn't going to help anyone.

"Besides," Megumi whispered in her ear. "The Battousai might not notice your missing, but someone will notice I'm missing."

Her whole body sagged as relief flooded through her. Megumi was right, Sano would notice she was missing. Through that they would notice she was missing. Saito was also out there. He might have cut off contact, but he would still check up on her. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out what had happened, what with her door on the floor. Saito could fill Kenshin in on what was happening. Kenshin would come for them, they weren't alone. Just like last time, Kenshin would help her find a way out of the darkness.

"Kaoru," Dr. Gensai spoke up. "Maybe you should inform us as to why Eichi would go to such lengths to catch the Battousai."

He was right, taking a breath she started. "Do you remember Tomoe?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The Story

"She and Eichi grew up together. I met her when Koshijiro took me in," She said in clarification for Megumi who had probably never meet Tomoe. "She is a few years older than me. She was like a sister to Eichi and I. Eichi adored her and followed her everywhere. She was beautiful and, as she got older, her beauty attracted many men.

"Eventually she got an offer of marriage to a man from a higher class. Such a marriage would elevate her family and help them out greatly, so she accepted. He was everything her parents could hope for. He was kind and cared for their daughter. But, as we know, appearances can be deceiving. Once she married him, we lost contact with her. It was five years until we saw her again, and she was very much changed. She was never his wife, he just wanted a play thing. We talked a lot once she came back. I think my background made it easier for her to open up to me.

"The Battousai also worked for this man. Back when he was a manslayer. By the time she married the man, the Battousai already had a reputation and she knew to be wary of him. She had little interaction with him, but he was always there in the shadows, ready for an order.

"At first she hated him because he never tried to help her. But then one night, she left her husband's quarters and she saw him crouching in the shadows. He had just come back from a mission and had come to report. He was just sitting there, shaking. How long he had been there or how much he had heard, she didn't know. But in the moment, she realized; he didn't help her because he didn't know. For the first time she realized he was just like her, he had signed up for something thinking it was good. She believed that in that moment he opened his eyes and started to see. Started to realize just what he was doing. Something changed in him that night. He started getting in trouble for not completing missions. She knew he became like her, desperately trying to find a way out.

"After that night, he started trying to make her life easier. He tried to lessen the blows and even took some for her. That's how he got one of the scars on his cheek. Eventually he helped her escape."

"Then why does Eichi hate him?" Megumi asked.

She sighed, "About a month after she came back, Tomoe killed herself," Dr. Gensai nodded sadly, he remembered that. "Eichi was devastated. He knew some of what had happened to her, at least that the man she married wasn't who he said he was and that the Battousai had helped her escape. In his sorrow, he came to the conclusion that it was the Battousai's fault. That if the Battousai hadn't waited so long to help her escape, then she wouldn't have died."

"He blamed the Battousai, not the man who had hurt her?" Megumi asked. "Why?"

"The man was just a name, while the Battousai was this person to be feared. I don't know. To him it made sense. All I know is he started training to become a policeman right after that and here we are now."

"But Karou, why did she do it?" Dr. Gensai asked.

"I don't know. It's the one question I have never been able to answer. She didn't seem like she wanted to die. The last time I talked to her, she told me how she wanted to dedicate her life to making sure no one else ended up like her. I never saw it coming and I still ask myself how I never saw it coming. I was her closest friend and I never saw it coming. I should have. I should have seen it and stopped her," She couldn't stop her voice from shaking, this was her biggest regret. Megumi put a comforting hand on her back.

"I do know this," she said once she got her emotions under control. "Whatever the reason, it was not the Battousai. She held nothing but kindness and gratitude towards him."

Someone started cackling, they looked up to see a shadow of a man outside the cadge. His ki was practically dripping with blood, he was a true manslayer with a lust for blood.

* * *

Kenshin's mind flooded with relief when he saw Yahiko, "Yahiko, I am glad you are alright. We thought you had been taken as well."

Yahiko just ducked his head in acknowledgement. He didn't need Yahiko to say anything to understand what was going through the boy's mind. "Miss Karou would be proud of you, that she would. I am very glad you are here to help instead of caught," It wasn't much, but it was all he could say to assuage Yahiko's feelings.

Yahiko nodded and looked slightly less angry with himself. "This is Tsubame and Tae. They are friends of Karou. Tae works with Megumi."

"Megumi's gone to," Sano said in a dejected voice. He looked about how Kenshin felt.

"Where's Aoshi?" Misao asked walking up with the girls in tow. The moment they saw Yahiko they ran to him, on the verge of tears. He quickly calmed them down and soon enough they were smiling again.

"Aoshi stayed behind to follow the men we caught," Yahiko told them.

"Men you caught?" Kenshin said not quite understanding but unable to stop the bud of hope that those words brought. Yahiko quickly filled them in on what had happened.

"So those men will lead us to where they are being kept?" Sano said, voice back to its usual strength.

"It will at least give us a clue, which is more than we currently have," Master Hiko said.

They all moved to the living area to wait. It felt like days before Aoshi finally retuned. The moment he walked in the door, Misao was at his side, making sure he was uninjured. Kenshin held back his questions, knowing Aoshi would not withhold information.

"I followed the men back to where they were hiding out. No, Karou and the others were not there," Kenshin deflated but Aoshi gave him a look that said he was not done yet. "The men work for a man by the name of Gohei Hiruma." They all nodded in recognition of the name.

"He has a certain dislike of Karou, if he was given the chance, he would attack her," Saito said.

"From what I heard, it seems Eichi came to them and asked for their help in freeing Karou from the Battousai's grasp. Pretty much giving them the opportunity to attack her as long as they didn't hurt her. He and his men took the opportunity, but they turned on Eichi. I guess Eichi got drunk a few nights ago and started ranting about Karou, both about her connection to us and to the slave market. Suffice it to say, there were suddenly a lot of people after her. Gohei gave her to the highest bidder."

Kenshin's head was spinning. The only comfort he had had was that Eichi didn't want to hurt Karou. Now she was in the hands of someone who either wanted to get to him or to take her out, so she stopped interfering with the slaves. She could already be dead. His blood boiled at the thought. Again, every fiber of his will went into holding him back from losing it again.

"What about Megumi? Why did they take her?" Sano asked pulling Kenshin back into reality. Master Hiko was watching him intently, there was no doubt his master was aware of the struggle going on inside him. But, being who he was, Master Hiko would let him figure it out by himself.

"I do not know. Nothing I heard indicated they had anything to do with Megumi or the old man. That's why I brought him along," Aoshi indicated with his head. They all peered out the door towards the entry way. Eichi lay on the ground, bound, gagged, and unconscious.

Kenshin was on his feet in an instant. Forcing himself away from Eichi. He did not have enough control to face him right now. If he did, he would regret it. He left without a word, going out into the backyard to cool his head. It wasn't long before Master Hiko joined him.

"I'm impressed," Master Hiko said, joining him next to the small lake that he had just dunked his head into to cool down. "You kept your emotions under control. I don't think I've ever seen you do that."

"Karou saved my life and endangered herself because she believed in the man I am, not who I was." Was all he could say, he knew his master would understand what he couldn't say.

"She's strong that one, she won't go down without a fight."

"But what if…" he couldn't finish.

Master Hiko smiled, "Use your head for once idiot. If they wanted her dead, why go to the trouble of kidnapping her?"

Slowly the words sunk in, his body shook with relief. Master Hiko was right. If they had wanted her dead, they would have just killed her or done a public execution. Both of which they would know about by now. That meant they took her to get to him, she would stay alive, at least for now.

"But why take Miss Megumi and Dr. Gensai? It doesn't make sense."

"That is what the others are trying to figure out. They will come to us when they have the answers. Leave the interrogation to them. Saito pointed out that Eichi would probably talk as long as you weren't there, seeing as he has a rather large problem with you. In the meantime, you have some friends waiting for you."

He looked towards the porch to find Ayame and Suzume patiently waiting there. He pushed his worry back and smiled, motioning them to come over. They both grinned and came bounding over. Master Hiko silently retired to the porch to watch.

"Uncle Ken are you ok?" Ayame asked, Suzume patted his shoulder in comfort.

"I am fine, just worried about Miss Karou and the others, that I am." Ayame's smile faltered at this, he reached out and gently ruffled her hair. "They are strong, that they are."

"Ya, Karou beat bullies," Suzume added, trying to comfort her sister. It worked, Ayame's smile retuned.

"Why are you all wet Uncle Ken," she asked, and he started to regale them with a tail of him fighting with the lake. It wasn't long before he had both of them laughing and running around. It was amazing how something so simple could make him feel better. He no longer felt on the edge of losing it again.

It was almost noon before the others came out. They looked unhappy, especially Sano. Upon seeing the others, the girls ran up to them in greeting, bring with them the healing power only children possessed. They grabbed Sano and demanded he play with them. He conceded, allowing Kenshin to join the others on the porch and hear what had happened.

"Where is Eichi?" He asked.

"Saito is watching him," Aoshi said sitting down. Misao, Yahiko, Tae, and Tsubame came out with tea and joined them.

"So, what did you find out?"

"After he finished with all the shouting and swearing, he doesn't really know anything," Yahiko said angerly. Tsubame was looking at him with concern, gently she took his hand and dragged him over to play with the girls. Yahiko was doing well, but the circumstances were taking a toll on him. He had finally found a home and was becoming comfortable in it, then it got ripped away again. Kenshin had been unhappy with Aoshi for sending two complete strangers to with Yahiko, but now he was glad. Tsubame helped keep Yahiko grounded, reminding him that he wasn't alone.

"Well Yahiko is right; we did actually learn some things," Tae said. She was very unique, he didn't quite know what to make of her. Her ki felt like a regular person, but if he focused, he could find holes. Almost like her ki was wearing a mask. It was something he had never felt before.

"What did you learn?" Master Hiko prompted.

"He got drunk in a bar in the city, which means that whoever is behind this is from there, which also explains why the rumors about her haven't reached us," Aoshi said. "At the same time, Gohei and his men are not connected to the upper class. They just torment people but don't really get involved in anything to do with the upper class."

"So, whoever approached Gohei with an offer had to be from their circle. They would never trust the word of some rich guy. So, it is probably a hired mercenary."

"That still doesn't tell us much. There are a lot of mercenaries. Whoever hired the mercenary went to the trouble of taking Dr. Gensai and Megumi. None of this explains that." Kenshin said, understanding why Yahiko and Sano were so upset. If this was all they got.

"Taking them says this is more than just Karou's connection to us. All three of them are connected to the slave trade as well. Dr. Gensai is the main person who supplies Karou with herbs," Aoshi added before Kenshin could point out that Dr. Gensai wasn't connected to the slave market. "They could have guessed he knew how to make the concoction she uses on the slaves. Which would also explain why they were after Yahiko."

"So, their connection to us just gave this person access to them?"

"No," Tae said. "Then they would be dead. But they aren't, to our knowledge, and who ever took them would want to make their deaths public. To send a message."

"What do you think they are planning?" Master Hiko asked, looking at her intently.

"With them, they damage our fight against the slave trade and get the opportunity to catch you guys. But that is a lot of effort for them. After all, they've left such things to the police so far. My guess is they want to catch you but not kill you or turn you in. How much do you think someone would pay for a slave with your fighting abilities, any one of you?"

Misao started shaking, Aoshi did what he could to comfort her while getting over the shock. Even Master Hiko reacted to this, "You think…"

"It is only a guess," Tae interrupted. "I think if they can catch you without killing you then they will. They don't like getting their hands dirty. This way they get rid of a problem and make a profit."

"Threaten our friends to get us to submit," Kenshin said. "They can't honestly be relying on that. To most people, we are merciless killers."

"The mercenary," Aoshi said. "How many people would pay to get a chance to fight you."

"So, whoever they hired has to at least have a chance of beating Kenshin," Master Hiko said.

"Another manslayer," Kenshin said softly.

"That narrows it down," Tae added.

"But it's not just me. You guys won't just wait around for me to be defeated."

"Their first move will probably be to separate us. Then we each have to fight on or own. They probably have qite a few strong fighters in their employment. One on one, we stand a chance. Change that so we are outnumbered and our odds of winning decrease. The best option is to not get separated but we can't rely on that," Aoshi said.

"It would be best if just Sano, Aoshi, and I went. We are the best fighters and then if we fail at least Saito and Master Hiko would still be here," he said.

"If even one person loses, then we are back to square one and they will have more hostages. While we lose one of our strongest fighters," Misao said. They all fell silent as they all though of ways around this.

"I may not have a solution for success but…" Tae drifted off.

"What?"

"If you all fail, there is a way of stopping the drug from breaking your mind. Then at least you have a second chance to escape. But, it…well, it would not be easy."

"There is a way around the drug? Why do you not use it?"

Tae shook her head, "It's not a way around the drug. The drug only works on you once. If you guys are exposed to it and recover before you go, then it can't work on you a second time."

Misao gasped, "That…," she couldn't find her voice. There was a joy in her eyes at the prospect of never going through that again but also a horror of them intentionally going through it.

"Could you even do that?" Kenshin said, mind whirling. "And it would take so long, can we spare that much time?"

"As long as Yahiko can make the cure, I can do it. As for the time, it might take us just as long to find them anyway. While you guys are recovering, Tsubame, Yahiko, and Misao can follow leads. Misao is immune and the other two are too young."

"Then if they are caught, they will just be killed," Aoshi said, showing some anger.

"We will be careful," Misao said calming him down. "If you are really going to go through this, then it is the best option."

"That's the question then, are we going to go through this?" Master Hiko said. Again, they fell silent. Should they intentionally try and break their minds? Go through all that just for a slim chance that they could fail.


	13. Chapter 13

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the late update. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

The Fight

The only indication they had of time passing was when someone came and delivered food, or they were taken to the restroom. Kaoru guessed they had been there for about three days. They were kept in almost complete darkness. The manslayer came by occasionally but rarely talked. All he had told them was that Eichi was not actually behind this. At least not completely.

Aside from the manslayer and the person who brought them food. They didn't interact with anyone. It was a good thing because they weren't being hurt, but it told her that they had been taken in order to bring Kenshin and his friends. Part of her desperately wanted Kenshin to find her while another part of her hoped he wouldn't. She was torn between sacrificing Kenshin and his friends or herself along with Megumi and Dr. Gensai.

They were left alone to sit in the darkness. Even though they had each other, the darkness was oppressive and was taking its toll. Megumi barely talked anymore. She spent her time curled up in a corner, unmoving. If Kaoru didn't bring her food, then she wasn't sure Megumi would be eating. She did not know much of her friends' past, but the darkness had taken away her strong façade. Dr. Gensai had developed a nasty cough that wouldn't go away. Tending to him was the only thing that roused Megumi into action, not that there was much they could do. Kaoru was struggling to; memories and fears took up residence in her every thought making it hard for her to sleep and focus.

Time dragged on, the manslayer started showing up less and less. She could tell he was getting agitated. If Kenshin didn't show up soon then they would probably lose what protection they held. If bait proved useless then what was the point of keeping it around.

The change was sudden, but Kaoru felt it. It was as if the wind had been blowing one direction and then suddenly changed. Something had happened. She quickly pulled the other two into a corner, even they could tell something was going on. They huddled in silence, trying and failing to suppress their fear. It felt like and age before the commotion reached them.

Men whose ki she didn't recognize came towards their cell. Carrying lanterns that provided more light than they had seen in a while. They blinked as their eyes tried to adjust while their cadge was unlocked. Rough hands grabbed her and pulled her out of the cell.

Horror froze her for a moment before she redoubled her struggling when she realized she was the only one being taken. Megumi and Dr. Gensai shouted and tried to get to her but were held back. The door was locked between them and she watched as the darkness slowly started to take them. She wanted to call out to them, tell them to stay strong, but the words froze in her throat.

Her hands and feet were roughly bound before she was slung over someone's shoulder and carried. Indignation finally pushed her fear aside and brought her voice back.

"I have two feet and the ability to walk. This is no way to treat a lady," she hollered. She was met with silence. Finding their lack of response very annoying, she started swearing at them and throwing every insult she could think of, mentally thanking Yahiko for expanding her vocab in both categories. Still they ignored her.

Eventually she was unceremoniously dumped in a room. The manslayer was there. He was easy to recognize even though she had never seen his face.

"Once the Battousai fails I call first dibs," the man who had been carrying her said with a grin. Maybe letting her temper get out of hand hadn't been the best idea. The other men left, leaving her alone with the manslayer. He was dangerous and looked slightly crazy, but she refused to be afraid of him.

"You won't beat him," she said glaring at him.

"I might not beat him if he was the man he was, but now we shall see." He said with a large grin. She continued to glare at him, but he ignored her.

She felt Kenshin's ki before she saw him. She was relieved and scared about what would happen next. It was heartening though, that he wasn't alone, Aoshi and Sano were with him.

Kenshin's eyes found hers the moment he came into view. She tried to signal to him that she was ok, her voice was once again stuck in her throat. The manslayer stood up to great them, putting himself between them and her. Kenshin's eyes hardened.

"Jine," he hissed out the name.

The manslayer, Jine, only smiled more. "It's been a while Battousai, or should I call you Shinta," her eyes widened in shock but Kenshin seemed unsurprised. Obviously, this man had seen Kenshin when he was still and assassin, not a feat many people had accomplished. After all, his job was to kill without being seen.

"I see you brought along some friends. How nice," Jine continued. "You have two choices: you all fight me here and save the girl but not the other two, or, split up and save the other two." The three men exchanged glances before Sano and Aoshi nodded and left the room. She just hoped they would find where Dr. Gensai and Megumi were being kept.

The moment the other two left, the tension in the room became almost tangible. Kenshin and Jine moved into fighting positions. All she could do was watch and hope. She had been trying to free herself, but her bindings wouldn't budge.

The fight started, and her eyes strained to follow their movements. This was the first time she had ever seen Kenshin truly fight. It was as magnificent as it was terrifying. He moved with inhuman grace and his skill was impeccable. She couldn't imagine anyone matching him, but Jine was. Jine lacked Kenshin's grace, but his ferocity and lack of fear made up for it.

The two flew apart, Kenshin with a wound in his shoulder and side while Jine only had a scratch on his cheek. She was worried, Kenshin was holding up but Jine was slowly getting the upper hand.

"I've waited all these years to truly fight you and this is what I get. You are pathetic," Jine spat. Kenshin said nothing but his eyes meet hers for an instant before returning to Jine, a move Jine noticed. He started laughing, "I see you need more motivation."

Before she knew it Jine was looking at her. She tried to look away, but her eyes were glued to his. A great weight started to settle on her. First her arms and legs stopped moving, then she felt her lungs slowly stop. It was impossible to hide the fear that rose in her when she realized she could no longer take a breath.

"What have you done to her," Kenshin demanded while she tried and failed to take a breath.

"You know of my Shin no Ippo, this is simply a stronger version. I've paralyzed her lungs along with her body," He said cackling. "The only way to save her is to kill me, and I would hurry, she won't last forever." About six minutes her panicked brain told her. Kenshin didn't hesitate to attack.

It felt like forever before she got her panic under control enough to return her attention to the fight. What she saw scared her more than the lack of breath. The man she saw wasn't Kenshin. It was a man whose sole purpose was to kill his opponent. She needed to stop him, he couldn't return to that, not because of her.

Her will strained against Jine's, if she could break out of its hold she would be able to breathe again and get Kenshin to stop. His will was strong, but she was not weak. She used every ounce of her strength to push against his hold, but couldn't break it.

Why, she thought, I'm not weak. How can his hold be so strong? The more she fought the more she started to notice, her will was holding back. It wasn't that he was stronger than her, it was that her subconscious was stopping her from fighting fully.

Her struggle became internal as she tried to understand why she was holding herself back. She needed to help Kenshin, she told herself. Needed to get to him before he killed again. Why wasn't she letting herself save him? Tears came to her eyes as she watched Kenshin fight and couldn't do anything.

Then it struck her, this wasn't her fight to win. She was holding herself back because Kenshin needed to win this on his own. Either he succumbed and started killing again, or he didn't. If she intervened, then she would save him this time, but what about the next time? She wasn't always going to be there when he needed her. If he won, then there would never be a next time.

Once she had figured it out she stopped struggling and focused solely on the match. Kenshin was winning. It didn't take long before Jine was disarmed and kneeling. Kenshin raised his sword, flipping it around so the blade was facing forward. She wanted to scream to him that he couldn't become a manslayer again, but she couldn't. All she could do was hope with all her might that he would win. That he would not make the same mistake and start killing again.

* * *

He had been relieved when he had seen Kaoru. She was tied up but unharmed. It was more than he had wished for. The relief was short lived when his eyes found Jine. It had been a long time since they had met. Back when he had been an assassin they had both been told to target the same person. They had met and, instead of needless fighting, he had allowed Jine to do the actual killing. Jine had been overjoyed about the killing but unhappy that he didn't get to dual the infamous Shinta.

Now he was getting the match he always wanted. Kenshin doubted Jine cared about what the people who hired him wanted. All he wanted to do was fight strong people and kill.

The fight was hard, it wasn't long before he found himself losing to Jine. He needed to win, but as the fight continued he found himself on the losing side, a feeling he was not accustom to. Then Jine went and attack Kaoru and he saw red.

After that it wasn't long before he pulled himself out of the bottom. Now that he was focused it didn't take long to disarm Jine and get him on his knees. He couldn't hear anything, couldn't think. All he knew was that killing Jine was necessary. He would kill again for Kaoru, to save her life. He lifted his sword for the final blow and glanced at her.

She was sitting still, no longer struggling. Her cheeks were wet like she had been crying, but her eyes were dry now. She was watching them intently. Her eyes held fear, which was understandable. Soon he would free her, and she wouldn't need to be afraid.

Hardening his resolve, he turned back to Jine, but something caused him to look back. Time slowed down when his eyes met hers. She was afraid, someone slowly suffocating would be. But beyond the fear there was a stronger emotion playing across her eyes. It was something he couldn't name. It was like hope, faith, sadness, and understanding all rolled into one. He saw himself reflected in her eyes, standing over Jine ready to make the final blow. He was Shinta now.

 _"Your name, it suits you"_ her words rang in his mind, clearing the red from his vision. He wasn't Shinta, he was Kenshin. Her Kenshin, the one she had risked everything to save. The one she had faith in. She was in this situation because of her faith in Kenshin. He had started killing because of the deaths of the ones he loved and would do so again to save the one he loved, but he couldn't. He didn't want to see Kaoru die, but she would never want him to kill because of her.

His sword slipped out of his fingers as tears rolled silently down his cheeks. He couldn't save her without destroying her. Either he killed her mentally or had to watch her physically die. He felt his entire self being ripped in half. It was a pain like no other and he wanted to scream, but no sound came out. He just stood there and watched her as she registered his decision, and smiled. His heart broke and he fell down next to his sword. She understood and supported his decision, but now he could do nothing but watch her die.

She closed her eyes and he felt her spirit rally one last time. He clung to the feeling of her ki, desperate to imprint it on his soul. It was the only way he could keep her with him.

The crack as her spirit broke through Jine's hold was almost audible. Her eyes flew open as she coughed before sucking in air. Her body sagged now that it was not being held in place. He was by her side in an instant, supporting her while she greedily sucked air in to her deprived lungs. Her body shook from exertion, but she was breathing again. She was breathing. The tears in his eyes became tears of joy as he clutched her tight to his body, not wanting to let her leave his side ever again. The broken pieces of his soul started to slowly put themselves back together as he relished in the feeling of her heart beat.

"Your all right now, that you are," he said. Reassuring himself as much as her.

"We both are," she said quietly.

He felt Jine move and instinctively reached for a sword that was not there. In his rush he had left it on the ground next to Jine. With nothing left to do, he shielded Kaoru with his body, but the blow never came. With a sickening noise, Jine stabbed his sword through his chest, falling to the ground dead.


	14. Chapter 14

**Here's the next chapter. Sorry for the late update. I got distracted by another story. I hope you like it. If my made-up character has the same name as someone else's character from a different fanfiction, I apologize, it is unintentional.**

* * *

The Escape

Once she got her breath back they got up to follow the others. She paused as she passed Jine's body. After a slight hesitation she bent down and untied his short sword from his belt. She wasn't going to stand by and let Kenshin do all the fighting. As long as the sword stayed in its sheath, it wouldn't taint her father's teaching. Kenshin looked at her but didn't question her decision.

After that, they ran where the others had gone. They ran and hopped. In the end the found themselves in a large room with no other apparent doors. Aoshi and Sano were standing there. Sano looked like hell and she knew he needed medical treatment. Aoshi tried to hide it, but she could tell he was hurting as well. They must have faced similar opponents. None of them were in fighting condition. They needed to get out, but they still hadn't found Megumi and Dr. Gensai.

"Where were you being held?" Sano asked as they looked around the room.

"It was somewhere dark, probably underground," she replied. They started to move to look around, but she stopped them. "We need to tend to your injuries."

"We need to find them," Sano shouted. She wanted to push but Kenshin placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head. Obviously, Sano wouldn't see reason. She trusted Kenshin's knowledge of his friend.

Sano and Aoshi looked around while she tended to Kenshin's shoulder. When she was done he traded place's with Aoshi so Aoshi could be tended to. She was very glad she had decided to wear her hair in a ribbon the day she had been taken, even if it was her favorite ribbon. The extra cloth was coming in handy. Sano refused to listen to her and continued to look around.

They searched for a hidden door in the walls and floors, but to no avail. They were running out of places to search when they heard clapping. The entire backwall of the room lifted to reveal a man standing there clapping. He looked average, nothing unusual. It was only his suit that told you he was part of the upper class.

"I congratulate you," he said. She glared at him. So, he was behind this, go figure. Takashima Akira, the man who burned down her dojo.

They all grouped back together, "Where are they," Sano demanded.

"I'll have to admit," Akira said ignoring him. "I didn't think all of you would make it. I guess those men weren't as strong as they thought they were. Well, at least I don't have to pay them."

"Where are they," Sano shouted.

Akira smirked, "You didn't think I wouldn't have a backup plan. Unfortunately, Jine demanded she be present for the fight," he said pointing at her. "But I needed something in case you all won. You are too good to let get away."

"What did you do to them," she demanded as a bad feeling grew in her stomach.

"I just gave them something to drink," he said with a smile. She couldn't find the words to reply. Megumi should have known not to drink anything. For the past few days Kaoru had been the one to try the water first since she could recognize the most poisons and since she was immune to the drug. Megumi would have known not to drink anything, but they could have forced her.

"Now, I have a deal to offer you," Akira continued. "Give up, and I won't turn your friends into slaves."

"Why the hell should we believe you?" She demanded. She wasn't going to trust a word he said without proof.

He smirked, "Such a temper as always Karou. I see you still haven't learned your lesson," she ignored the other's confused looks and glared at Akira. "I thought you might need some motivation, so I had them brought here for you to see," he said as a covered cadge was pushed up.

If he was telling the truth she didn't know how she was going to get them out of there. Sano was already losing it and she didn't know how she would react to two people she cared about in pain.

Akira dramatically grabbed the cover and pulled it off the cadge. She and the others tensed, only to be confused. There was nothing in the cadge. Akira was obviously not expecting this either because he just stared in shock. Whatever was happening, it wasn't going to his plan.

"We need to get out of here," She whispered to Kenshin. He nodded and glanced at Aoshi. Aoshi nodded. They would both be needed to get Sano out.

"What did you do," Akira finally shouted at them, recovering from his shock. "Guards!"

"Where are they," Sano said moving forward but the other two held him back.

"We need to go Sano," Kenshin said.

Sano looked towards Kenshin with desperate eyes, "I can't leave them."

"They are not here," Kenshin said understanding the desperation. There was more to this than just Megumi. "They are not here. If we stay and fight, we will never help them. We must go." Sano sagged and let them pull him back.

Guards were flooding through the door behind Akira, they wouldn't be able to get away. Her mind raced through options when she saw a rope in the track the wall had used to slide up. That's why the sliding hadn't been smooth. She didn't know why Akira was using rope, but she took what she could get.

"Aoshi, how well can you throw?" He gave her a look that said he was offended. She pointed to the rope, he got the message.

His aim was perfect, and the wall came crashing down. It would buy them the time they needed to get out. She followed them back the way they came and soon enough they were outside. She would have enjoyed the feeling of the sunlight if it hadn't been for the guards chasing them.

Aoshi took the lead, zigzagging around buildings. It wasn't long before they lost their tail and were able to slow down.

"Do you know what happened to the others Miss Karou?" Kenshin asked her as they continued to follow Aoshi.

"No. When I was taken they stayed where we were being held. They obviously weren't where Akira thought they would be.

"How do you know that man?" Sano asked darkly.

"He's the one who burnt down my dojo," she said. Sano's anger was understandable.

"So, we just left Megumi and the old man there. Now what?" Sano said.

"We figure out what happened to them and quickly," Aoshi said. "For now, we go back and get our wounds tended and inform the others. We do nothing for them passing out in the street."

Solemnly they followed Aoshi.

* * *

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Tsubame asked as he lead them around the building and through a door he knew was there. It led them into a small storage room. Hidden under some boxes was a small door that dropped them into the tunnels under the building. From the tunnels they would be able to find where Akira kept his cadges.

"Yes, they won't be expecting it. We can slip through unnoticed while they are distracted by Kenshin and the others."

"And how exactly do you know where you are going?" Misao asked.

"Just trust me," he said, not really wanting to talk about it. "A thief knows these things. Or ex-thief in my case."

They didn't argue and followed him, it wasn't like they had any better idea. He was just glad his memory of the place was still there. It had been a while, but it hadn't changed much. The tunnels were the same and had not been collapsed, unless Akira had moved his cadges, he at least knew where to start looking. They used flashlights that Misao had given them, to navigate the dark tunnels. The flashlights gave off just enough light to see but not enough to be seen from a distance. As long as soldiers weren't hiding in the dark, they wouldn't be seen.

Eventually they came to the cadges just in time to see Megumi and Dr. Gensai being lead out. Silently, they followed.

"I want them drugged and in this cadge in ten minutes. I'm going to watch them squirm for a while," Akira's voice ordered. The voice made him angry, but he held himself back. Now was not the time for grudges. Besides, messing up Akira's plans would send him into a rampage. And being the cause of that was almost as sweet as hitting the man in the face would be.

He and Misao peaked into the room while Tsubame kept watch. There were three guards with Megumi and Dr. Gensai. "We need to knock out the guards," he whispered. He didn't know where Karou was but first they needed to help Megumi and Dr. Gensai.

Miao smiled and pulled something out of the folds of her clothing. If he had to guess, it was a blow pipe. She cracked open the door and quickly hit all three guards. He ran in to catch the two closest guards while Misao caught the third, quietly lowering them to the ground. Tsubame went to the to the Megumi and Dr. Gensai and released them.

"What are you doing here?" Megumi whispered.

"Rescuing you," he replied. "Where's Karou?"

"They took her away a little before they came and got us," She said. He wanted to search for her, but helping them came first, Karou wouldn't want it any other way. He would get them out and then go back for Karou.

"We need to get out of here without anyone noticing."

"We could take their uniforms and Misao and Megumi could wear them," Tsubame said. "Then we just hide their bodies and Misao and Megumi send guards in here to deal with the cadge. The rest of us would hide in the tunnels."

"Could you find your way back?" He asked Misao. She nodded.

Before long the cadge was covered, the men were hidden, and Miaso and Megumi were dressed up. He and Tsubame helped Dr. Gensai back to the tunnels and waited. It seemed like an age before Misao and Megumi showed up. They were both cracking up as they took off the uniforms.

"You should have seen the guards faces when we told them they were supposed to be helping with the cadge," Misao said. "They looked terrified by the time Megumi was done yelling at them."

"It's been a while since I've had to act like that. It was fun," Megumi said.

He rolled his eyes, "Come on." They followed him back the way they had come and soon enough they were back at the trap door.

"Here's the way up. I'm going back for Karou," he said.

"Yahiko, you can't go back by yourself," Tsubame said.

"I can't leave Karou."

"Kenshin and the others are here. They'll find her," Misao said.

"But what if they don't?"

"Then we will come back. It's better to know they haven't found her then running around looking for her when they have. Then we would have to come back and rescue you," Misao said.

"Besides," Tsubame said. "We aren't out of danger yet and Dr. Gensai will need assistance. We need you right now."

He clutched his fists in frustration. Torn between two obligations. Tsubame was right, but that would mean he was abandoning Karou a second time. What if something happened to her? Or worse, what if she hated him for turning his back on her. What if she kicked him out? He knew the fear was irrational, Karou had promised he would always have a home, but he couldn't stop the fear.

"Fine," he said. "But if Kenshin didn't find her, I'm coming back." He helped Dr. Gensai to his feet and they left the storage room. Slowly making their way through the town. Misao and Tsubame led, keeping an eye out for anyone, while Megumi took up the rear.

"We should be far enough away," Megumi said. "Let's take a break."

They sat down and Tsubame pulled a flask of water from somewhere, handing it to Dr. Gensai. The old man had never complained, but it was obvious he was hurting.

He couldn't help but wonder where Misao and Tsubame managed to hide things. He didn't have anything hidden in the folds of his clothing. How did they do that?

"How are you doing?" Tsubame asked Megumi.

"Fine now that I'm out of that place. I think we are both tired, but we are alive and unharmed. More than I was expecting when I was kidnapped."

"Misao, how far do you think we have to go?" He asked. He wasn't sure how long Dr. Gensai would last. The minimal medical knowledge he had learned from Karou was telling him the old man needed rest and a good dose of cold medicine at least.

"We still have a while to go but if we get a bit further away, it should be safe enough to call for a pickup."

Once they were ready, they continued on. He helped Dr. Gensai to the best of his ability, but the old man wasn't doing good and the walking wasn't helping. Misao led them to a hidden spot to wait while she pulled a phone out of her magical clothing and called for a ride. From the look of it, she got an earful before she was allowed to speak. Once she was done they sat in silence to wait.

"Misao, I hope you have a good explanation for why you are here," Aoshi said materializing from an alleyway. How the hell had he known they were there?

Misao looked down, "We thought we could be of some help," she said quietly.

"Where are the others," he demanded.

"Coming, I went ahead when we heard you three were waiting here for pickup. What were you thinking, following us?"

"Helping," Misao said indicating Megumi and Dr. Gensai. Aoshi seemed to be noticing them for the first time, though he didn't look that surprised.

"I see, so you were the ones behind that. While I am glad you were there…" He drifted off. And ran a hand over his face. "It was dangerous. Please refrain from such recklessness in the future. You cause enough worry on a regular day. At least tell me what you are planning."

"I will," Misao said looking concerned. She went to Aoshi and put a supporting hand on his elbow, directing him to sit with the others. "For now, you should sit down." He looked between the pair. One with the look of admiration, the other with adoration. Karou had said Miaso loved Aoshi, but she seemed pretty oblivious to the fact that he was in love with her.

"Did you find Karou?" He asked, afraid to hear the answer.

"She's with Kenshin," A huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. Karou was alright, he hadn't abandoned her a second time. He stood and waited until her heard the others approaching.

"Yahiko," Karou called running up and embracing him. He didn't resist her. "I'm so glad you're ok. I was so worried."

"I'm sorry for not helping you," he said.

She shook her head, "You did the right thing. I'm so proud of you." His hands slowly moved and embraced the back of her shirt, he had needed to hear that. She released him as Kenshin and Sano walked up. Sano looked like he had been beat up, not done the beating up.

"What the hell happened to you?" He said and received a whack on the head.

"Shut up brat. Hay fox, glad you're ok." Sano said trying to be nonchalant, but everyone could tell he was relieved. Megumi smiled and reassured him she was alright.

"How did you managed to find Miss Megumi and Dr. Genasi?" Kenshin asked.

"Yahiko did," Misao said. "It was his idea from the start."

"How did you know where to go Yahiko?" Karou asked him.

He looked down at his feet. He didn't want to talk about this in front of everyone. "Can we talk about that later?"

"Alright," she said. He sighed in relief, he really didn't want everyone knowing his past. He was ok with Karou knowing, but not everyone else. "I'm just glad everyone is alright."

They all sat and chatted quietly, filling everyone in on what had happened. He, Misao, and Tsubame kept watch. He listened idly, not really that connected to what they were saying until Karou mentioned Akira was the man who burned down her dojo. His stomach dropped, maybe he shouldn't tell her anything. If she knew the truth she would definitely kick him out.


	15. Chapter 15

**Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it. Thanks for all the reviews.**

* * *

The Mend

It was painful, just sitting there waiting. They were far enough away that they should be safe, but they were in the city. They were in the city in a rather large group which made them noticeable. Just their cloths made them stand out and half of them had blood on their cloths. If they were seen it could be dangerous.

Kenshin could probably fight, but it wouldn't be the best and she would prefer he didn't. She had a hard time telling how Aoshi was doing, but she guessed not great. She had never seen him show so much emotion like when he did while scolding Misao. Sano was definitely in no state to fight. He had almost collapsed once he saw Megumi was safe. Even though she was angry at Yahiko for doing something so dangerous, she couldn't help but be thankful he was there. With him, Misao, and Tsubame, they weren't completely defenseless.

They waited in tense silence until Saito finally drove up in a van. Dr. Gensai, Megumi, and Sano were loaded in first followed by Aoshi and Kenshin. By that point the car was getting full.

"Yahiko and I can walk," she suggested. They needed to talk, and they were still in a condition to fight. Tae was back at the house so there would be someone to tend to everyone until she got there to help.

"Miss Karou, it is not safe," Kenshin said.

"There's not enough room. We are still able to fight and unlike the rest of you, we aren't wanted criminals. We will be safe."

Kenshin did not look pleased at the idea, but he knew that if he went with them, he would attract trouble. Either they waited here for Saito to come and get them after dropping everyone else off, or they walked. Staying put was almost more dangerous. "Don't let your guard down," Kenshin finally conceded. "If you're not back in an hour, I'm coming to look for you."

She nodded. Once the car was gone, her and Yahiko set off. Cautiously making their way through the city. Neither of them said anything as they moved. It was good, but she was concerned, Yahiko had become uncommonly silent while they waited.

"So, how did you find the other's?" She asked once they were safely out of the city and in a more comfortable setting. They still couldn't let their guard down, but they didn't need to be silent anymore.

"Can we not talk about it?" He said looking away.

"Yahiko, you said you would talk about it later." She pushed. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, it was more she wanted to know how he had known how to get around Akira's home like that.

"Well I don't want to," he said.

"Yahiko."

"Why do you want to know so badly?" He almost shouted.

"Because I care about you. Doing what you did, knowing the tunnels, that knowledge doesn't come free. I want to know you're alright. I want you to trust me, open up to me."

"If I tell you, you would want me to leave," he said in a broken voice.

"I promised you a home. I don't break my promise. There is nothing you could say that would make me make you leave." It was true. Yahiko was part of her family now, she wasn't going to let him go unless he asked, and even then, she would fight him. She didn't want to lose another person she cared about.

"I don't believe you," he said. She knew he didn't mean to hurt her, but the words hurt.

"I swear," she said. "I don't care what you've done. Your part of my family now."

"It's not what I've done, it's who I am."

"That matters even less. I know who Kenshin used to be but that doesn't change how I think about him. I know you are a good person Yahiko."

"Even if Akira's my father," he said. His hands were clenched, and he looked ready to take a blow. So that's what this was about. She was surprised, very surprised, her mind was spinning as it tried to understand what he was saying, but she pushed it aside. If she waited for her mind to get back on its feet, Yahiko would see her hesitation and the damage would be done.

She grabbed his shoulders and turned him towards her, bending down so they were at eye level. "Even that doesn't change my opinion. You have and will always have a place in my home, no matter who your father is."

Yahiko looked so raw and open. He had not been expecting her to accept him. She pulled him in tight and wrapped her arms protectively around him and waited for his emotions to calm. It was the first time he had ever cried in front of her and he would probably deny it in the future if she ever brought it up. She just held him until his tears dried and he pulled back.

"Though I have to say," she said once he was calm again. "You don't look a thing like him."

He let out a small laugh, "That's what he always said. My mother swears I'm his biological son but it's hard to tell." Now that he knew she accepted him, the rest of the story flew out of his lips. "My mother was his fifth wife, I think. I'm the only son she ever had. After I was born, she fell out of his favor because he didn't believe I was his son. When my mother got sick, he didn't want to pay the medical bills, so he kicked her and me out. We didn't have any means of paying for a place to stay let alone medical bills, so my mother borrowed money. But she didn't recover."

"So, the debt fell on you," she said, he nodded. "That's why you were working for the gang."

"Ya. When I was a child, before my mom got sick. My siblings liked to lock me down in the tunnels. They knew Akira wouldn't punish them. I got lost a few times but eventually I started to learn my way around. I also found a map of the tunnels in Akira's office once. I was able to copy it without him noticing. That's how I knew how to get around."

She smiled and ruffled his hair, "Always sneaking around I see. Well, I'm sorry you had to endure that. But I'm glad you had the knowledge. You saved Megumi and Dr. Gensai. I'm proud to call you my pupil."

His chest puffed up at the compliment. "And don't you forget it. One day I'm going to be a better fighter than you."

She smiled sweetly at him and tripped him, "Not if you don't learn to pay attention to your surroundings."

He got back up and glared at her, "Ugly." She smiled as they fell back into their normal banter.

They got back without incident. Kenshin was relieved when they walked through the door. He had been too agitated to let Tae tend to his shoulder. Misao was quietly tending to Aoshi, who still looked mad, and Sano was nowhere to be seen. Tae looked quite annoyed.

"Now your back maybe I can finally start tending to these…" Tae seemed to want to say something nasty, but it wasn't in her nature, so she just huffed in annoyance.

She left to go tend to Dr. Gensai, so Megumi could get some rest and Sano would finally leave her alone. It was kind of funny to see him hovering over Megumi telling her to rest while Megumi stubbornly ignored him. It was nice to see her friend so comfortable with a guy other than Dr. Gensai and Yahiko.

Yahiko left to go tend to the girls so they stayed out of foot. It seemed like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He was more comfortable in his new life now that he knew she wasn't going to kick him out. She smiled, although his parentage had startled her, she knew he was a good kid. His story had only confirmed that. She was glad she had decided to take him in. He was a good learner, protective of the girls, and knew how to use his head, even when his ego said differently. He had a bad mouth and attitude, but when push came to shove, he was a good kid.

* * *

Once Karou was safe, he had thought all the hard things were over, then she had said she would walk home. He didn't want to leave her, not after he just found her again, but she was right and there wasn't a thing he could do. Once they left time seemed to slow down just to torment him. It felt like hours before she finally got there. He had been too worried to sit down, even when Master Hiko told him to. He had been so close to losing her and now he thought he might lose her again.

When she finally came in he wanted to run up and embrace her and never let her go, but he didn't. She quickly assured him that they were fine before vanishing into another room to tend to Dr. Gensai. He wanted to sit and talk with her, they needed to talk, but he couldn't. She had people to tend to and he really should get his shoulder tended to. It had already blead through the quick bandage she had done earlier.

He relented and sat on the porch with the others as Tae tended to their wounds. Yahiko was near the pond with the girls. He seemed lighter than he had been. Whatever he and Karou had talked about, it had put him at ease. "Thank you, Miss. Tae," he said when she finished with his shoulder.

"It's the least I could do," she said moving to Sano. With his shoulder tended to, he sat back, enjoying the sun, and listened to the other's talk. Everyone was safe, he could relax, at least for a little while. Misao was silently tending to Aoshi, who was still angry with her for doing something dangerous. He would interfere if his friend didn't cool down soon. While Misao had disobeyed, she was safe and so were the others.

"If you don't mind me asking," Master Hiko said to Tae. "Why do you know so many different arts?"

"I come from a family of we call Assistants. For generations my family has assisted those fighting on the front lines. We do not train to fight or kill. We are the backup in a way. We learn medicine and stealth. Problem solving and quick thinking. Historically we were paired with a warrior and would go to battle with them. We would be there to help with strategies and tend wounds when the fighting was over. It was also our responsibility to help if the need arose to escape. Now we learn to keep the tradition alive, so if we are ever needed again, we ae ready."

"You live a life in the shadows, never to be recognized for your actions," Master Hiko said.

"We have never wanted fame. You cannot live the quiet life we live with fame. Besides, there are many people like us. Spies, ninjas, none of us will ever be recorded in a history book. It's knowing we made a difference that matters."

"That is very commendable," she smiled.

"Thank you. Now, Mr. Sano, how exactly did you manage to get so beat up in comparison to the others?" She scolded.

Sano scratched the back of his head, "My fighting's more up close than these other two. Getting beat up is just part of how it's done. The one who can take more of a beating is the one who wins."

Tae sighed in frustration, "You could try not doing that for a change. Honestly, I don't even know where to start. I now understand why Megumi's always complaining about you at work."

"She does, does she," he said with a smirk. Now that Megumi was safe, he was back to his old self. It had been a long time since he had seen Sano so out of control. Probably the last time he had seen his friend like that was when they had fought.

"Almost every day. It surprised me at first. I never thought she would willingly interact with someone like you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" He demanded.

"I did not mean to cause offence," Tae said. "It's just considering her history. I didn't think she would be able to."

"What happened? She's never said anything."

Tae sighed, "I've probably said to much, but Mr. Sano, has anyone here had an easy past?" That was an easy answer. No, that's why they were fighting. To make a better world for the children to come. "Megumi is no different."

"But what do I have to do with it?"

"She acts the way she does towards you because she's trying to hide her fear."

"She's afraid of me," Sano looked like a lost child.

"Not anymore, but she was, and her indifferent attitude was her way of hiding it. Now she just acts that way because it's just how you two act, and she knows it annoys you. You are just very similar in physique to a man who was not kind to her. Honestly, I don't think I have seen her interact with a man her own age outside of the hospital." Tae chatted away as her hands deftly wrapped bandages around his injuries.

"But I don't scare her now, right?"

"No," she said and Sano relaxed. It was a while before Tae was finished tending to his injuries and by the end she was looking quite annoyed. She shot Sano a look that said don't even think about getting into another fight soon.

"Do you need any help Misao?" Tae asked, Misao silently shook her head. Aoshi still looked thunderous. Kenshin shot a friend a look telling him to calm down. Aoshi just stood up and walked away.

"I'll talk to him," he said to Misao before following. He found Aoshi sitting in one of the studies. "Your upsetting Misao, that you are." He said sitting down next to Aoshi.

"She shouldn't have disobeyed like that."

"Is that really why your angry?"

"She could have been killed. It was reckless and dangerous."

"But she wasn't. She's fine and she saved the lives of the others."

"So now she'll think she can save everyone. She'll do something reckless and get herself killed."

"One doubts Misao lets her ego control her like that. She has a small enough one as it is. Especially after all of your glaring." This earned him a glare. "She is smart, that she is. Young but smart, and she is learning. Her last mistake was a lesson she will never forget. She took a calculated risk, we all do. Can you blame her for copying the one who taught her?"

"Then I should not be the one teaching her."

"Aoshi, you can't protect her from everything. Not unless you want to lock her in a room for the rest of her life. You prepare her and be there to catch her when she falls."

"But I wasn't there to catch her," he said. That was the root of his anger. He was angry at himself for not seeing it coming. For not guessing she would follow after them and try to help. He was angry and afraid that something could have happened, and he would lose her again. And, he was afraid situations like that will happen again.

"Then you teach her how to keep herself up until you can get there to catch her. We can't protect them from everything," he said remembering the feeling of watching Karou suffocate. "We can't hide them from the rest of the world, they would never live that kind of life. All we can do is support them with everything we have."

"How do you do that? Stay calm when someone you care about keeps putting themselves in danger?"

He smiled, "I simply think of what Miss Karou would do if I tried to stop her. Misao is the same. She will not let anyone in her way if she thinks she's doing the right thing."

Aoshi sighed and leaned back, "That is true."


	16. Chapter 16

**Here's the next chapter. This didn't turn out how I planned but it turned out well. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The Night

When she woke up it was dark out. She would have gone back to sleep, but she was hungry. Quietly she got up and left the room, determined to find the kitchen, where ever it might be. She hadn't really seen much of the place since arriving. All she had done was tend to Dr. Gensai and fall asleep.

Her search for a kitchen was cut short when she saw Kenshin sitting on the porch looking out into the night. She silently padded to where he was and sat down beside him. "How's your shoulder?" she asked.

"Better, Miss Tae is quite skilled. How are you Miss Kaoru?"

"Good, sleep does wonders."

"Miss Kaoru…"

"Kenshin," she said cutting him off. "You don't need to apologize."

"One still finds the need to," he said looking down at his hands, so his hair hid his face. His hands were fiddling with something she couldn't see.

She reached over and placed her hands on his, causing him to look up. His eyes held a deep sorrow that made her heart swell with love. It was proof that he cared about her. Not that she needed proof after the previous days events. "You made the right choice. You won the battle inside yourself." She said gently.

"I chose myself over you," he said, and she could see the self-loathing in his eyes.

"No," she said firmly. His eyes widened a little in surprise. "You chose me over you. If you had chosen yourself, you would have lost me, maybe not physically, but in every other sense. You knew that, and you chose me over your own feelings. You chose what I wanted despite the suffering it would cause you. I can't even imagine how painful that must have been. So, I am sorry, for making you feel such pain." She didn't know how to put her thoughts into words, she just hoped he would understand her and stop feeling like he had done something wrong.

He opened his mouth to speak but seemed unable to find any words, so he closed his mouth and reached up and touched her face. His thump ran along her cheek bone as if he was assuring himself she was truly there. She looked into his eyes and saw longing. A longing she was very familiar with. But he didn't move, didn't act. He never would. He would never take the decision away from her. She knew that and was thankful, too many people had done that.

So, she made the first move. Leaning forward she placed her lips on his. The kiss was soft, sweet, and beautiful. His hand found its way into her hair and the feeling sent shivers up her spine. There was a passion and longing that pushed them closer, but she resisted it. Now was not the time. She wanted to be with him with every fiber of her being, but right now they had a war to fight. When she pulled away he let her, his hand drifted lazily through her hair before coming to rest on hers. She was sure even in the dark he could see her blush.

They sat in silence, not finding a need to say anything. Content to simply be in each other's company. She was still reeling from what she had just done. She had just kissed him. Something she had only ever dreamed about. And he had returned the feeling. Her ki was buzzing with a feeling she couldn't quite name, but it was a good feeling. Great feeling actually.

After a while his soft laughter broke the stillness, "Miss Kaoru, I believe you are turning into a bee."

She hit him lightly in the arm but was laughing too. "You sure a bee? Not a wasp?"

"No," he said looking decidedly away from her. "A wasp is not nearly as cute." If possible, her face turned even redder. She would have retorted but her stomach decided to remind her, rather loudly, that it was still empty.

"You wouldn't happen to know where I might find some food," she said, failing to hide her embarrassment.

He stood up chuckling and helped her up, "I might." She followed him to the kitchen where she let him prepare a few rice balls. It wasn't that she couldn't do it herself, she just wasn't in the mood to cook…and it would taste a lot better if he did it. Once the food was done they returned to the porch to eat. She hated to admit that he was a better cook, but he even made rice balls taste better. Honestly, how did he do it? The ingredients were the same.

She finished eating and looked up at the sky, "What happens now?" She asked him. Only after the words left her mouth did she realize there could be two very different answers.

Kenshin let out a soft laugh before responding, "We know who's behind the slave trade," he said, understanding what she had actually been asking about. "So, we can make a move and hopefully end it."

"Do we know?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he asked looking at her.

"I don't think Akira is the one behind the slave trade, or at least not the only one. Did you see the state of that place? There were few guards and he was using ropes instead of wire or chain to work the door. His palace is falling apart around him and he's trying to hide it with cheap tricks."

"But Eichi said Gohei gave you to the highest bidder. Akira must have offered a good deal of money."

"Or he was the only other bidder. Sure, catching you would be a big success but the chances were pretty low. Akira was desperate, and the others just sat back and watched."

"So, he is just one of many faces leading the slave trade. Who else could there be?"

"I think anyone who benefits from it is backing it."

"You think the entire upper class is involved."

"At least the heads of the major families." Kenshin was silent. "This is more than just the slave trade. The upper-class see's us as less than them so they think it's ok to do these sorts of things to us. It's like we aren't even the same species. How do we win a fight against class and ignorance?"

"You fight the war that needs to be fought," Kenshin said quietly.

"Causing more bloodshed. More innocent people will die," she said. She was caught between anger and sadness.

"Sometimes it needs to be done, that it does," Kenshin said sadly.

"Does it?" She asked. "My father fought to make the world better. So I could grow up in a better pace. He fought but he didn't kill, he wouldn't kill. Every life was precious, even that of the wrongdoer."

"He's beliefs are honorable, and I hope one day more people will believe that, but sometimes it is not enough," Kenshin's voice was strained as he tried to explain to her while the concept of more fighting disgusted him as well. After all, he had vowed to never kill again.

"Even if you are right and we start a war that needs to be fought. What then? What happens when we win? Removing a problem doesn't always mean things will get better. We are not leaders." Kenshin stayed silent so she continued. "I want things to change. I want Ayame and Suzume to grow up in a better world. But am I so naive to think that justice can be found without a war being fought? That innocent people don't have to die for a new age to rise? That a sword can be used to protect instead of kill?"

"A sword is a weapon. The art of swordsmanship is learning how to kill. That is the truth," Kenshin said looking up at the sky. "What you say is sweet and innocent talk that only those whose hands have never been stained with the blood of men can believe." In the silence she deflated, he was right, she didn't know. The darkness she knew was different from the one he knew. When it came to making a difference, he knew better. In all these years he and his friends had done something. Sure, their reach was limited to this part of the city, but this part of the city was safer than the other areas. All she had done was hide in her apartment and protect her little bubble of neighbors.

"But," Kenshin said continuing. "To tell you the truth, I much prefer your sweet and innocent talk over the truth, indeed I do." This made her smile faintly. He was right, but he also believed in the way she wanted to fight. He would help her. Help her find a way to win without unnecessary bloodshed. At least he would try.

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

His mind was still spinning. She had kissed him. It was something he never expected. In that moment he had wanted to. Every fiber of his being wanted to, but he couldn't move. He couldn't believe she still cared for him after what he had done. He had chosen to let her die and she had kissed him. They had sat for a long time once they were done talking, her head on his shoulder, just looking at the sky. Eventually she had started to fall asleep and he had told her to go back to bed.

"You're getting soft boy," Master Hiko said sitting down next to him. Two visitors in one night, he was a popular man. Though he much preferred Kaoru's presence.

"Is that such a bad thing?" he asked his master.

"It's certainly not going to help you hold you liquor any better," Master Hiko said and he saw the bottle of sake his master had in tow. Where his master found the alcohol was beyond him, but he always seemed to have a full bottle with him.

"Not all of us can be like Sano," he said. His master just grunted.

"Is your woman alright," Master Hiko said.

He sighed, "You overheard enough of our conversation to know the answer, and she is not mine. I think you will find Miss Kaoru will not take kindly to you calling her such."

His master waved his hand in a dismissive manner, taking a swig from the flask. "Do I need to worry about you running off again?" Master Hiko asked. So that was the reason he was here, to make sure his student was alright. Although he would never say so out loud.

"No. One…I did not break my vow," he said softly.

"I'm impressed," Master Hiko said and his voice did hold a small ounce of pride. "You saved your woman and kept your vow. I didn't know you possessed such control. She's good for you. Strong. At least you can do something right," Master Hiko joked. Then he became serious, "That's when you know you've found the right one. When they accept the good and the bad and make you want to be a better person without saying anything. Better make sure you don't lose her."

"I do not plan to." He said, Master Hiko grunted in approval. It was an odd statement coming from his master, too sentimental. He never knew of any love in his master's life, but there was much of Master Hiko's past that he didn't know. "Master?" he asked when there was no response he continued. "How did you find out where they were being kept?"

"It was simple really. I happen to be in possession of a rather rare brand of sake. Gohei's lackeys were more than willing to tell me in exchange for a taste."

Of course, because that made complete sense. He really should have figured that out. If it wasn't sake, his master probably would have found a way to win them over with pottery. His master's hobbies always confused him, but they had come in handy more than once. If only they could win this fight with sake and pottery. Even that might be too much for his master.

"Of all the things I have taught you," Master Hiko said. "And you only seemed to pick up how to swing a sharp piece of metal around. You really are an idiot."

"What does that say about the one who taught the idiot," he said cheekily.

"That he's an old fool," Master Hiko said taking another swig. "An old fool who expects grandchildren one day now that his idiot apprentice has found a decent woman." He choked on the cup of tea he was drinking which only made Master Hiko laugh.

"If you want to get something off your chest," Master Hiko said after a wile of silence. "I have plenty of sake to drink." He smiled faintly and began to speak, telling his master everything that had happened the previous day. Master Hiko didn't say anything, it wasn't his way. But he listened, he let Kenshin say what he needed to say.

When he was done he got neither approval or anger from his master, but he felt better. Master Hiko simply grunted and poured him a glass of sake. They sat in silence and drank.


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm so sorry this is so late. I kind of got stuck and wasn't sure how to write this next part so I hope you like it.**

 **Also, I don't plan on spending a lot of time on the whole overthrowing so if you want me to please let me know, otherwise I'm probably going to jump a bit in the next couple of chapters. This is ending up longer than I anticipated, I was hoping to stay under 20 chapters, but we will see.**

 **Thanks for sticking with me, hope you like it.**

* * *

The Plan

"Kaoru," Misao called softly, waking her up. It was still morning and the others around her were still asleep. Quietly she followed Misao out of the room. "I'm sorry to bother you. He won't shut up," Misao said looking rather annoyed. She didn't know who Misao was talking about but followed her.

Misao took her to a small room far removed from the rest of the house. It looked like a storage closet. Opening the door, her eyes widened as Eichi came into view. He was tied up and looked a little ragged. She vaguely remembered Tae mentioning he was here. Her blood boiled but she held her composure, thanking Misao, she went to sit in front of him. She could feel Kenshin arrive outside the door, he would stay there, out of sight, in case she needed him. His presence was comforting and helped keep her calm.

"Kaoru," Eichi said looking relieved. "I'm glad you're ok."

"No thanks to you," she bit out and he flinched.

"I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Didn't mean for what to happen? Didn't mean for me to be kidnapped? Didn't mean for my friends to get hurt? What exactly did you want to happen?"

"I just wanted to get you away from that man. He's dangerous. You just can't see that."

"And yet he saved my life while you endangered it," she said glaring at him.

"Your life wouldn't have been in danger if it weren't for him," Eichi pushed desperately.

She snorted, "No, it wouldn't have been in danger if you could let go of your stupid anger. You are the only one at fault here Eichi."

"He killed her," Eichi cried. She felt Kenshin stiffen behind her. This was going to be fun to explain, she thought.

"No," she said forcefully. "She killed herself. K…The Battousai had nothing to do with that and you know it. If anyone is to blame it is the man she married. Stop blaming the Battousai for something he didn't do."

"He should have protected her," Eichi said with tears in his eyes.

"He did," she said trying not to shout. "She would have never come back otherwise."

"Then why did she do it?"

"Because she was ashamed, depressed, I don't know. We will never know. She is gone, dwelling on the past isn't going to change anything. But it was not…" she had to pause and stop herself from saying Kenshin's name. "It was not the Battousai's fault and I will not allow you to blame him any longer. You need to let go."

"I can't," he said looking her in the eyes. She knew he would never believe her.

"Then this is the last time we speak," she said sadly. His eyes widened in horror. "You had me kidnapped because of your deluded beliefs. You endangered the lives of Ayame, Suzume and Yahiko. My friends were injured because of you. I put up with you because of the friendship we once shared, but I cannot do that anymore."

He sat there, mouth agape. This was a line she had never crossed, but he had crossed it first. She was not going to endanger her friends again. "Think long and hard Eichi. Either give up your foolish hatred or give up our friendship. I'm done letting you have both." With that she stood up and left.

Kenshin followed quietly behind her until they were seated in a secluded spot in the garden. The rest of the house was still quiet.

"Tomoe was like a sister to Eichi," she said to Kenshin's unasked question. He palled and refused to look her in the eye. "She told me a lot about you when she came home. Whatever you're feeling, she did not hate you. She held only gratitude for the sacrifices you made for her. I don't know if you know about her death, but it wasn't your fault, no matter what Eichi thinks."

Kenshin sat for a long time, hiding his expression behind his hair. "I was unsure whether she was alive," he said softly. "After that night, I never heard from her again. Were you two close?"

"Not as close as her and Eichi. She was like a sister, a female figurehead. I looked up to her."

"I'm sorry."

"Kenshin, would you stop blaming yourself for everything. You saved her life."

"And yet she is still dead."

She took Kenshin's face and forced him to look at her. "Taking her life was her choice. If anyone is to blame it is me for not seeing it. You saved her from that hell hole. You risked everything to save her so don't you dare go blaming yourself."

His eyes were still sad, but he nodded, "One might know the reason for her actions." Her brows furrowed but she let him continue. "Miss Tomoe was in love with a man at the house. He was one of the guards set to guard her. From what I could tell, he loved her too. When she planned her escape, he planned on leaving so he could be with her. But he was killed during her escape which I don't believe she ever knew. All she knew was he never came for her. I don't know if it was the reason for her actions, but it might have been part if it."

She sighed, Tomoe had never told her about any of that. Whether it was why Tomoe killer herself or not she would never know. She brushed her fingers over the scar on his cheek. Tomoe had told her how one of the scars had come into being. She could see in his eye that the other scar was from the night Tomoe's lover was killed.

"Then maybe they are both at peace," she said with a soft smile.

He nodded softly, leaning into her hand. "What about Eichi?"

She hardened, "He made his choice. If he had just threatened me, I could forgive him. But he put Ayame, Suzume, and Yahiko in danger. I cannot forgive him for that."

"What do you think he will do?"

"I don't know," she said honestly, sitting back and looking up at the brightening sky. "His mind works in an odd way. I can't predict what he will choose."

"Will you be alright?" She nodded. She would be, Eichi had crossed a line. He had attacked those close to her. She could not remember another time when she had been so angry with another person. "We should head back," Kenshin said once he was convinced she was alright. "They will want to talk about what we are doing next."

He stood up and helped her up, "Miss Kaoru, thank you."

"For what?" She said softly as they started walking back.

"Everything," he said with a soft smile. "For believing in me, trusting me, being too stubborn to let me blame myself. Just thank you."

"You are welcome. I look forward to the day when my stubbornness in such an area is unneeded and we can have a conversation without one of us apologizing," She said. She wondered if he saw the promise behind her words. The promise of a future after the fighting was done.

* * *

"Your ideas are honorable," Saito said to Kaoru, "I just don't see how we could pull this off without fighting." There were all sitting together, like they had been for most of the morning. Trying to figure out what to do next. His eyes kept drifting back to Kaoru, their conversation still fresh in his mind. He was once again amazed at how their lives had been so entangled and yet she still didn't hate him.

"I understand that," Kaoru said. "I just want minimal fighting. Anything we do will cause repercussions. Innocent people will pay the price."

"Miss Kaoru does have a point in that we are not rulers. Overthrowing the upper class is needed. But no one other than the upper class knows how to rule." He put in, pulling his mind back to the present conversation and trying, in vain, to keep it there. The last things she had said to him still rolled around in his mind. It seemed almost like she was promising him that she would still be there after the fighting.

"If we aren't careful the police would take over and we could end up with a military dictatorship," Saito conceded.

"And how exactly are we going to find a rich asshole sympathetic to our cause," Sano said. The room fell silent.

"I can," Megumi spoke up softly. Everyone turned to look at her, Kaoru looked concerned.

"How?" Sano asked.

Megumi and Kaoru shared a long look before Megumi nodded and Kaoru spoke, "Megumi is the last living heir of the Takani family."

"You mean the one that was massacred like ten years ago," Megumi flinched at this and Sano quickly apologized.

"I didn't think there were any survivors," he said quietly.

"That's how I wanted it," Megumi said softly. "I was badly injured, but I got away. That's how I met Dr. Gensai and Kaoru. They helped me."

They had all heard of the massacre. It had been so sudden. The family had been a strong family, wealthy and with influence. Their eldest daughter had married a commoner, which had caused a lot of outrage. Then that commoner went and massacred the entire family, burning down their home and killing himself. No one knew why he did it. That was the last time someone married across class.

"If I make my presence known, I can work back into the upper class. Once I'm there I can test the waters and see what I can find. Not everyone in the upper class is bad." Megumi said, not looking at Sano. Sano looked quite upset.

"Megumi," Kaoru said. "Are you sure?" Megumi nodded but Kaoru did not look convinced.

"That's all well and good, but first we need a way of bringing down the current rulers," Master Hiko said.

"With as little violence as possible," Kaoru added.

"I think we are all in agreement that the heads, the people behind the slave trade, must go. As long as they are around, they will hold power," Aoshi said.

"There are a group of men within the police force that follow me," Saito said. "They will help."

"They haven't been discovered?" Kaoru asked with concern. Obviously, she was aware of this.

"No, we were careful. They will be useful in making sure the police don't interfere or try and take power."

"Kaoru," Dr. Gensai said from his corner. He looked much better than he had the day before and had insisted on being present. Ayame and Suzume were out with Tae in the garden. "They might help us as well," he said cryptically, confusing everyone.

Kaoru shook her head. "No, I don't care how useful they might be. I'm not involving Ayame in this."

"If I asked, they might listen," the old man pushed.

"Who are they?" He asked seeing as his men were the only ones who had no idea who 'they' were.

"They are a group of people hidden in the city. They are like high end thieves. The group was formed by Ayame and Suzume's parents many years ago. To my knowledge they are still active. We would just need to find them," Dr. Gensai said.

"I have never heard of such a group," Aoshi said.

"Well, that is because they do not mess with every day people. They steel from the rich. Which might be useful if we want to weaken certain families."

"Will they help us?" Saito asked. "They have never listened before."

"I think with the right proof they can be swayed," Dr. Gensai said. "It can't hurt to ask."

"So, we have more men," Kaoru said with a sigh. "This is all well and good, but what are we going to do?"

"I don't think we need to plan that yet," Tsubame spoke up softly from the corner. "Megumi needs to get settled before we make a move otherwise it will incriminate her. We also need her assessment of the upper class before we know who we need to target."

"So," Saito said. "For now, we consolidate and continue doing what we've been doing until Megumi has information." Everyone started to nod in confirmation.

"Tae and Tsubame will act as the go between for Megumi. Megumi, you will need to figure out a way to keep working at the hospital, so you can get information to them. If you go to their restaurant too many times people will get suspicious," Megumi nodded. A look passed between the two woman that said they would talk more in private. Everyone was willing to let them figure everything out. Kaoru would tell them the important information and that way Megumi wouldn't have to share her past with everyone.

* * *

She gave Megumi time to prepare before going and finding her after the meeting. When she eventually went looking for her friend, she found her in her room lost in thought.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked as way of greeting.

"Yes," Megumi said. Her eyes were determined though she could sense fear from her friend as well. She walked over and sat down next to her.

"So, what's your plan," she asked. If Megumi wanted to do this then she would do all she could to support her friend.

"I make my self-known to old family friends first. I look too much like my mother for people to argue too much. I'll say the reason I stayed hidden for so many years was out of shame and fear. Fear that…that that man was part of a group."

"Why come back now?"

Megumi sat and thought for a while, "To honor the memory of my family. I finally found the courage to face my shame," Megumi bit out the words. It was obvious that she was still ashamed, which would make everything harder. She wanted to say something, but there was nothing she could say. This was Megumi's fight.

"What about Akira, he will probably recognize you."

"I thank him for giving me the courage. After he treated me like a common peasant I realized how ashamed my family would be of me. I want to honor my family, so it gave me the courage to step up and claim my title once more."

"He'll ask about the Battousai."

"I had no idea that the Battousai was connected to the work I had been doing in the hospital or to the people I knew. We won't be able to interact once I go back," Megumi said, and she nodded in understanding. Her name was now tied to the Battousai. "They rescued me simply because of the work I do with the slaves, but I don't know anything about him past that."

"We can push that from this end as well. How are you going to keep working at the hospital?"

"It's penance for what I did," Megumi said looking away from her. There was truth in that statement. After all, Dr. Gensai taught her medicine to help her get over the death of her family.

"And your work with the slaves? That will immediately make people involved angry with you."

Megumi smiled, "That one's easy, I simply play the simple-minded woman they think I am. Completely clueless to the connection of the upper class to the slaves. I'll downplay my role so everyone thinks I'm just too kind. It will also help draw out those that we need to target. They will try and get close to me in hopes of getting the stupid woman to sabotage the hospital."

She nodded, it would work. Everyone already looked down on women and their intelligence. She had been the brunt of the sexism her entire life and used it more than once to her advantage. Megumi would just have to make sure not to be out manipulated.

"Promise me you'll be careful," she said. Once Megumi left, she wouldn't be able to protect her.

Megumi took her hands and smiled, "You as well."

As reassured as she was going to get, she left Megumi to her thoughts and sought out the other person she needed to talk to. Sano was not as easy to track down but eventually she found him with Kenshin's help. Kenshin mostly just helped calm Sano down so he was coherent enough to talk.

"What do you want," he said angerly once they were alone.

"For you to go with Megumi and protect her," she said matter-of-factly.

The disgust was evident on his face, "Why the hell would I do that?"

"Because she needs someone there who can protect her, and you care about her. I know she'd be safe with you."

"Cared. I cared about her," he emphasized.

"Why does her status change that. She's still the person you know. Nothing about her has changed."

"Bastards like her took everything from me. They killed everyone I knew. They used us and then got rid of us," he spat. Well, she didn't need the whole story to get an idea why he was here.

"And people like us took everything from her and yet she's still fighting for us. In all honesty she should be on the other side." Sano didn't say anything, so she pushed more. "Sano, she married the man who killed her family. Her parents and little brother are dead because she pushed to marry a peasant. Every staff member that was at her house that night is dead because of her. She has absolutely no reason to sympathize with us and yet she does."

Sano's face fell, "You mean…"

"Yes. She was the one who married that man. A man who, from what I know, was very much like you."

"If that's the case then me being around her would just cause problems," he said, she could see his anger slowly crumbling.

"If you appeared as her lover then it would cause suspicion," she said trying not to laugh at the slight blush on his face. "But if you appeared as a guard she hired then it would be fine. After being kidnapped it would only be logical for her to hire a protector and you certainly have the physique of one."

"But Akira and a few policemen know what I look like."

"Sano, if you didn't blatantly declare who you are with your choice of clothing, people wouldn't recognize you as easily. You don't have Kenshin's problem of being easy to recognize. If you actually tried to blend in, you would find it rather easy."

Sano just grunted, refusing to look at her. She sighed, it was the best she was going to get at the moment. He had the idea in his head now and some of his anger was assuaged. Now all she had to do was give him time to come to his own decision.

"Think about it," she said standing up. "Someone will need to go with her as a protector. I'd rather it be someone we could trust. Even now she is ashamed of what she did. She fights every day not to drown in it. People will shove that shame into her face again and again, they will torment her with it. She needs someone there to help her through it and it can't be me or Dr. Gensai. Think about it. She will help us, but how much of her is left when the fighting ends is up to you."

With the necessary conversations out of the way, she went to find Kenshin. Tae had mentioned offhandedly how he, Aoshi, and Sano had almost intentionally poisoned themselves with the drug, so it wouldn't affect them later. While she understood the logic, she still intended to berate the man on even thinking about such a ludicrous idea. And she was slightly hurt, that he didn't tell her about it himself.


	18. Chapter 18

**Well here goes nothing. Hope you enjoy.**

 **It seems people want me to take my time, so I will. I don't have any of this planned out (not that I've had a lot planned out before this) so we will see where it goes. Please keep telling me what you want, I've been trying to add in what I read in the reviews.**

* * *

The Slave

Getting in contact with her old friends wasn't as hard as she thought it was going to be. She just showed up, declaring who she was and demanding to see them. Once her message was relayed, they appeared. Mostly out of interest to see who the imposter was. Once they saw her though, it wasn't hard to convince them of her authenticity. Getting access to her family's money took a little longer since they required a DNA test as proof. But, all in all, it went smoothly.

Within a month she was settled into a small house provided to her by a friend. It wasn't long before word got around of her survival. On a daily basis she was invited for coffee, where everyone would question her on the past couple of years of her life and her survival. She gave the same story she had told Kaoru and they didn't question it. Why would they? She needn't have worried so much about Akira, after his failed attempt to catch the Battousai, he was all but removed from the social circles.

It took a bit of practice to fall back into the proper behavior she had been taught as a kid, but she adjusted easily. It would have been nice, except the constant reminder that the people she once called friends were buying and selling other people. She couldn't help but wonder if she might have been like them, if life had turned out differently. After all, before her family was killed, she was just like them. She liked to think that her family was different, but she had barely even acknowledged the lower class until Dr. Gensai saved her life.

Almost every day people brought up the massacre of her family and thinly vailed accusations against her. Those who were her true friends tried to keep the conversations away from such topics and tried to lessen the blow when the topic inevitably arose. She acted like the demure woman they saw her as. Accepting their words and proclaiming over and over again how much she regretted her actions. She didn't, however, let them see her shame or the pain their words brought. It would only cause them to talk about it more. Only at night, when she was alone in her room would she let the mask drop. She would curl up in a corner in a vain attempt to assuage the pain, wanting to scream it to the world, but unable to make a sound. When morning came, she would put the mask on once more.

Sano was always with her, thought she quickly found there was no comfort in his presence. She didn't know what Kaoru had done to get him to go with her, but she wished he wasn't there. She could always feel him nearby, judging her. The moment he found out who she was, anything they had vanished. He was simply a guard now. He spoke only when she forced him to, and then he said as few words as possible. In the past month he had said less than fifty words to her.

She sighed as she ran a brush through her hair. She was almost done brushing, which meant there were no more excuses. Soon she would have to leave the comfort of her room and face the world, alone. Today she was going shopping with Raku for the coming ball. She was disgusted by the waste of money, but it was necessary. She wasn't accepted enough for people to talk about business with her yet. So far, she was just subjected to gossiping with other women. Once she became old news, people would start coming to her. After all, her family had a lot of money and she was now the holder of that money.

"I'm going shopping today. Raku will have her own guards, so you don't need to come," she told Sano as they ate breakfast. He didn't even grunt in reply. He just sat there and ate. If her emotions hadn't been so dulled by the constant abuse, his actions would have hurt her. As it was, she only felt a small twang of pain.

Numbly, she ate her food. She didn't enjoy it, she didn't enjoy anything anymore. The food was simply a means to keep her functioning, she barely even tasted it. The only thing she looked forward to anymore was going to the hospital. She went there twice a week and it was the only relief she got. Everyone there treated her like a normal person. They didn't judge her or rub her shame in her face. Tae did her best to cheer her up, but she wished she could talk to Kaoru. Kaoru was annoying at times, but she always seemed to know what was needed.

She stood up to leave and Sano stood with her, "I said you don't need to come," she said.

"I was instructed to be near you always," came his terse reply.

"I don't care. I'm giving you time off."

"Going to order me to stay?"

Her jaw clenched, "You know I wouldn't do that. I just don't see a reason for you to come."

He grumbled something under his breath. The only thing she caught was something that sounded like 'don't want to be here.'

"Then leave," she said. She was too numb to care anymore. Sano stated and looked up at her. "If you don't want to be here then just leave." She left and headed up to the main house to meet Raku, whether he would be there when she got back or not, she didn't know, and she wouldn't let herself care. She was alone, he made that clear from the start.

"Where's your guard?" Raku asked her once she got there.

She flipped her hair dismissively, "I didn't think he would be necessary today. I thought he would just get in the way. Besides, you know how they can get if you don't give them time off."

Raku giggled, "Well come on, we've got lots to do today."

She let herself be dragged off towards the front of the house. Her body froze when they got to the front door and her heart dropped. There was a man waiting for them at the door with vacant eyes and the garb of a slave. She wanted to be sick, even Raku, her closest friend, was involved.

"Is he yours?" she choked out.

Raku grinned, "Ya. Mom gave him to me for my birthday. Isn't he amazing. He's strong _and_ keeps me entertained at night."

She swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and forced herself to look at the man, indifference on her face. She didn't know him, not that she expected to. He was young, younger than Raku, and he was muscular. Probably worked on a farm or something like that. She couldn't help but wonder who he had been, if he had a family waiting for him.

They loaded into the car, the man sitting obediently at Raku's feet. It was hard, trying to act normal with the man there, but she forced herself to. She wasn't going to ignore his existence like everyone else did though. Part of her wanted to pretend like he wasn't there, it would make things easier, but she would let herself. She acknowledged him and did what she could to not accidently kick him in the car.

"Here, he can carry it for you," Raku said as they left the store with bags. Raku indicated to the man to take the bags, but she pulled away.

"It's fine," she said easily. She had already thought of an excuse. "If he carries my bags then there won't be enough arm room for everything you're going to buy."

Raku giggled, "Ture. You really have changed," She said as they went to the next store.

"How so?"

"Carrying your own bags. Working at the hospital. Cooking your own food."

"I couldn't exactly get someone to do it for me," she joked.

"What was it like, living with them?"

"It was a simple life…" she said cautiously.

"But wasn't it hard, I mean, with them being so uneducated and everything. They never noticed your superior knowledge?"

She almost choked, that's how the upper-class saw them? Did they really see the people of the lower class as idiots? "They never noticed," was all she could say.

Raku, thankfully, was too distracted to see her reactions. "I mean, mama says that becoming slaves is the best thing for them. Then they have someone to take care of them. They're better off."

She had to physically stop herself from slapping Raku. How in the world did she believe such a thing? Did she not see the man she was ordering around? How was that better for him?

"I'm going to try this on," Raku said and ran off to the dressing room.

She waited with the man. His brow was starting to sweat from carrying all the bags. She made sure no one was looking before removing the heaviest bags from his arms. There were too many bags for Raku to notice the change.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. It was brief, but the man's eyes flicked towards her before returning to their neutral position. He had acknowledged her actions. The man inside wasn't completely dead. That brief glance and the way his shoulders relaxed improved her mood. She wasn't like them, and he knew that now.

As they sat down to lunch she saw the man's eyes flick briefly towards their food a few times. It probably didn't even occur to Raku that he needed to eat. With a sigh she pushed her food away.

"If I eat any more I won't fit into that dress I just bought," she said.

Raku giggled, her giggling was starting to get really annoying. "Trash is over there," Raku said.

She just shoved her food towards the man. Raku gave her an odd look. "It's the same thing, right?" She said hating herself with every word.

Raku giggled and grabbed the man by the front of his shirt, yanking him down so his face was almost in the food. She had to bite her tongue and hope Raku wasn't going to force the man to eat without hands.

"What are you waiting for _trashcan_ ," Raku said to the man. "Get rid of it." Raku's sudden change in behavior was disturbing. With one more pull on the man's shirt, causing his face to hit the food, she let him go. He grabbed the food, returning to his original position to eat, barely registering the food dripping off his face.

After lunch they continued shopping. Raku seemed determined to stop by every store. Occasionally Raku's attitude would flip like it had at lunch. She would force the man to put on some stupid clothing or do some humiliating pose for her own amusement. Every time it happened, Megumi had to bite her tongue and wait until Raku was appeased. Occasionally she was able to distract Raku, ending the man's torment early. She hated that she could do nothing for the man.

It was past dinner time when they finally got home. Raku had dragged her to a restaurant where she forced herself to eat. At least this time Raku gave the man something to eat. The man looked utterly exhausted, but he never complained. He couldn't.

Once they were back at the house she found the first possible excuse to leave. Retreating back to her home. She barely even acknowledged Sano when she walked in the door, dropped her bags, went to the bathroom, and did what she had been wanting to do since that morning. She threw up.

She quickly emptied her stomach, but her body kept trying to throw up. At some point Sano had joined her in the bathroom and was holding her hair back. When the dry heaving finally stopped, she was shaking and covered in sweat. Sano gently helped her sit back and handed her a glass of water, so she could wash her mouth out.

She tried to stand up to leave the bathroom, but she was shaking too bad. Showing more kindness than he had shown her in the past month, Sano helped her up and into the living room. She curled up on the couch and put her head on her knees, focusing on her breathing. Slowly, the shaking subsided.

"Are you ok?" Sano asked. She ignored him and just focused on breathing in and out. "Megumi?" he pushed.

She stood up and walked past him without a word. Retreating to her room, she moved to her corner and laid down, not caring she was still in her regular clothing. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She was exhausted from shopping, but her mind kept wandering back to the man and the way Raku had treated him.

It wasn't long before her door opened, and Sano walked in. She kept her eyes closed in hopes he wouldn't see her and just leave, but to no avail. "What the hell you doing on the floor?" He asked. "You know there's a bed right there."

"No," she said sitting up. At first it was because the bed was too soft, and she couldn't get comfortable. Now she looked at the bed and wondered what things that man had been forced to do there. After all, this house was Raku's.

"What's wrong Megumi?" He asked, crouching down in front of her.

"Why do you care?" She snapped. She just wanted him to leave. He looked taken aback. "This is the most you've said to me since you found out who I was."

He scratched the back of his head and sat down. "It was just a lot to take in. I haven't really had a lot of time to adjust."

"Just leave," she said. "I know you don't want to be here or around me."

"No," he said. She wanted to throw something at him.

"Leave," she screamed. "I don't want you here." She was tired of his judgmental looks and they would only get worse.

He grabbed her wrists and pulled her roughly against his chest. She struggled against him, unsure what he was doing, but he was far stronger than she was.

"Kaoru told me that this would be hard for you and that how much of you was left in the end was up to me. I'm not going anywhere," he whispered.

"So, you're here out of pity," she said, her eyes burning.

"I'm here because I don't want to lose another person I care about. I'm angry, not because of your title, but because you didn't tell me. I'm afraid every time I see you interact with them, that you might turn into them." She was crying now. Her head buried in his shoulder. "But above anything, I'm afraid of the way you looked this morning. I know I've been a jerk, I just didn't realize how bad it was for you until this morning and I'm sorry. You're not alone."

She would have said something, but she was sobbing too hard to form any words. Sano just held her tightly.

"Let's get you to bed," he said pulling her up and moving towards the bed.

Her voice finally came back as she struggled against him. "No." He looked at her with confusion. "Raku has a slave. This is her home. He…" she couldn't say anything, just motioned towards the bed.

Realization flooded Sano's eyes and she felt him stiffen. She expected him to pull away but instead he startled her by picking her up.

"The servants quarters should be fine right?" He asked, she just nodded numbly.

Before long she found herself in an empty servant room. Sano put her down on the bed and she felt him start to move away. She wanted to ask him to stay, not wanting to be alone. But she couldn't bring herself to ask that of him. She must have done something though, because he stopped moving away and went back to her. He looked at her before climbing into the bed next to her, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She closed her eyes and soaked in the comfort of his body heat. Finally, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

It was awkward. The room was awkward. It was just her, Aoshi, and Misao sitting there waiting for Tae to show up and give them an update from Megumi. The others were out doing different things. She sat there trying and failing to ignore the awkward atmosphere. She didn't know what happened, but for some reason, it appeared that Misao was giving Aoshi the cold shoulder. Misao was completely ignoring the man and it was driving Aoshi insane from the looks of it. She wanted to laugh but decided angering Aoshi more wasn't the best idea.

Over the past month she had moved back into her apartment with Yahiko and gotten her life back in order. She and Dr. Gensai had gone back to what they had been doing. Kenshin and his group went back to trying to keep peace. Saito, with the help of Eichi, had been able to return to the police without any repercussions. It was Eichi's way of apologizing to her. She was still mad at him, but she had forgiven him and their friendship, although rocky, was still intact.

"Sorry I'm late," Tae said coming in. She wanted to hug her friend in thanks for breaking the atmosphere.

"How's Megumi?" She immediately asked. She was worried about Megumi. According to Tae, Megumi had not been looking well. It was frustrating, not being anything to help her friend. Even with Eichi clearing her name, it was still too dangerous for her and Megumi to interact.

"Better," Tae said with a smile. She sighed in relief. "It appears that Mr. Sano…"

"Finally got his head out of his ass," she supplied since Tae was too nice to say it, Tae nodded. "Finally." She had started to wonder if sending Sano with Megumi had been such a good idea.

"What news from them?" Misao asked. Aoshi just sat silently in the corner and sulked.

"Well," Tae said hesitantly. "It appears that the upper class see us as uneducated and they believe they are helping us by turning us into slaves…"

The room fell silent as they all digested this information. "You can't be serious," she finally said. How in the world could they think such a thing? How could you see some broken person and think that it was for the best?

Tae nodded sadly, "It appears that they believe we are uncapable of taking care of ourselves or making good decisions, so it is for the best that someone does such things for us."

"How…" Misao tried to talk but she looked like she was going to be sick. Aoshi went from sulking to concerned. His hand moved to comfort Misao but stopped. The wall between them stopped him from doing what he wanted to do, so, she did it for him and comforted the young girl.

"Anything else?" She asked Tae.

"There is a ball tomorrow. She thinks people might start approaching her soon. Hopefully we start getting an idea of who is involved. There is a man she has mentioned a few times. He intrigues her, but she is unsure what side he is on."

"What's his name?" Aoshi asked.

"Okubo Toshimichi."

"I can look into him," Aoshi said getting up and leaving. He practically bolted out of the room. She held her laughter in at his disgruntled look.

"I should get going too, before I'm missed," Tae said and quickly left.

She turned her attention to the young ninja, "What's going on with you and Aoshi?"

Misao looked down at her hands, "He keeps assigning me to the safest tasks. I realized he's worried about me. That's why he was so angry when I went to help rescue Megumi and Dr. Gensai. I keep worrying him and relying on him. I want to prove that I can be strong too. That he can rely on me. I want to be there for him like he is for me."

"So, your ignoring him?"

"I want him to see me as an equal but I'm afraid if I speak to him, my childish side will come out. I don't want him to see me as a child. I…" Misao stopped herself but she understood what Misao had almost said.

She almost felt sorry for Aoshi, but he was just as oblivious as Misao. It was amazing how two talented people could be so oblivious. Especially since they could read ki. "Misao, that isn't exactly why he was angry or why he is protecting you."

"What do you mean?" Misao said looking completely confused.

"He doesn't see you as a child," she said, looking at Miso to make sure the girl believed her. "Nor does he think you are weak."

"But I'm always relying on him. He never relies on me."

"He relies on you, you just can't see it."

"I don't understand."

"It's not my place to say anything, you need to figure it out yourself. Just give the poor man a break and talk to him. He looked ready to explode," Misao just looked back down at her hands. She sighed, why were people so dense around those they loved?

"Misao, you are hurt because you believe he doesn't rely on you, right?" She nodded. "Then think how he must feel when someone who relies on him starts ignoring him for some unknown reason. All you're doing is hurting him and driving him away." Misao jerked up and looked at her, finally the girl was listening. "At least tell him why you aren't talking so he doesn't think he did something to hurt you."

Misao nodded sadly, looking pained. She put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "It is easiest to hurt those we love."

"Why is that?"

"Because to love them means to know them. We know what makes them happy and what makes them sad. We know what heals and what hurts."

"But how can I get him to see me as an equal without hurting him?" Misao asked. She mentally groaned, he already did but the girl was too blind to see it. "Must I hurt myself in order to not hurt him?"

"No," she said with a smile. "You must simply talk to him. You'd be amazed at the number of things that can be solved through talking."

"He's not one to talk," Misao said with a soft laugh.

"Something tells me that has never stopped you from understanding him before." This caused Misao to smile, "Just talk to him."

Misao nodded, "How did you become so knowledgeable?"

"I fell in love with a man who locks himself away from the world."

"What do you mean?"

"Kenshin…he fears himself. He fears hurting others. Not physically but on some other level. He fears that if he lets people in, lets them see the darkness inside of him, that the darkness will consume them. So, he locks himself away and wears a mask. He only lets people see the side of him that he believes won't hurt them. He fears that his own being will take away the people he cares about." She said, she could only hope that Misao understood what she was trying to say. It was hard to put into words what she felt.

She was so lost in trying to word her feelings that she didn't realize he was behind her until Misao stood up. Misao quickly excused herself, leaving her alone with Kenshin. He had that look on his face again, the look of pure and utter bewildered adoration. It was proof that he truly believed he was unfit to be loved. Every time she saw that look she couldn't help but smile, it meant she was one step closer to him. One more mask fallen, one more lock removed from his heart.


	19. Chapter 19

**This chapter got a little long, but I hope you enjoy.**

 **As a reply to one of the comments, Megumi is not immune to the drug. She's never been exposed to it. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.**

* * *

The Heart

When he had heard Kaoru and Misao talking, he didn't want to interrupt, so he stayed outside. Then Kaoru started talking about him and his body moved of its own accord, needing to be near her. Misao had quickly left and Kaoru had turned to him and smiled. Normally, he would wait until she gave him permission to enter her space, but this time he didn't. He went to her and sat down next to her, pulling her into his chest. She let him, and they sat there in silence, not needing to say anything. What was there to say?

"The upper class think we are incapable of taking care of ourselves," she said after a while. He nodded, Aoshi had grumbled something along that line when he ran into him earlier.

"I might have an idea to deal with that, but I'm unsure."

"What?" he said snuggling his head into the crook of her neck and breathing in her scent.

"The same way I deal with Gohei when he is being an imbecile."

He remembered how she had gotten Gohei sick, it was the first time he saw how terrifying she could be when angry. But he didn't know how that would help, "I don't understand."

"If we could get the upper-class sick with something their fancy doctors can't fix. Then they would have to come to us for aid. Especially if some of the lower class get sick and we can help them. It would force them to recognize that we aren't idiots."

"Could you do that?"

"I practice an ancient kind of medicine. Most modern doctors, especially the ones that serve the upper-class, don't know plants. They wouldn't be able to diagnose something caused by an obscure plant."

"But you said plants have unexpected side effects," he said. The last thing he wanted was for someone to get severely sick or die because Kaoru would never forgive herself.

"Ya. It would take some research, but I could probably find something that didn't have dangerous side effects. The question is, how to disperse it to everyone. I was thinking the water system."

"Alcohol is much more effective," Master Hiko said, startling both of them. At some point, his master had come into the room and sat down. They had been too absorbed to notice him. Kaoru moved to pull away, but he held her back. He liked where she currently was, and his childish side kicked in. She grunted when he pulled her back against his chest but didn't fight him.

"Alcohol?" She asked trying and failing not to blush.

"Everyone you want to target can drink. It takes children out of the equation. They are innocent and can react more violently to sicknesses," Master Hiko said drinking from his sake flask. He buried his face in Kaoru's hair, of course his master had found a way to work alcohol into the equation. Though in truth, the only reason his master had mentioned it was for Kaoru, which made him immensely glad. His master approved of Kaoru's values, even if he saw them as childish.

"We can target a certain brand of alcohol and bring down the family that makes it as well," he added.

"How would we get some of the lower-class sick to show we can solve the problem?"

"Most of the people in charge of those businesses sell lower end alcohol to the lower-class for some extra profit," Master Hiko said.

"How would we contaminate the drink without them noticing?"

"We'll figure that out, you just find a way to make them sick," he said.

"Mmkay," she said, and he could feel her relaxing and falling asleep. As much as he wanted to let her sleep, she needed to get home.

"We should get you home before Yahiko worries, that we should," he said. She slowly got up and he got up after her. He would escort her home.

"I almost forgot," she said stopping. "Dr. Gensai met with Shura, she's the leader of the group Ayame's parents formed."

"What did they say?"

"Well, they didn't exactly agree to not help us, but they didn't agree to help us either. It's more they acknowledge what we are doing and if we need their help, they will probably help us if we agree to offer the same courtesy."

"So, they will help with specific things but now overall," Master Hiko said and she nodded.

"It's better than nothing," he said. He covered his hair, so it wouldn't cause attention, and then they left.

"Miss Kaoru," he asked as they walked. She hummed in response. "What happened to Ayame and Suzume's parents?" He didn't want to push, but he did want to know, for the girl's sake.

Kaoru was silent for a while, "They were thieves. They helped bring down the Takamori family among other things. So, as you can imagine, the upper-class wanted them dead. I don't know how their identities got discovered, but they were. Once they had a name to go off of, it wasn't long before mercenaries were knocking down their door. They had enough time to hide Ayame and Suzume before they were attacked and killed. Suzume was too young to understand what was going on but Ayame saw the whole thing." His heart sunk for the little girl he was so fond of. No one should have to witness such a thing.

"I found them the next day," she continued. "They hadn't moved from their hiding spot. Ayame wasn't in a good shape. She struggled for a long time, that's why Suzume always tries to cheer her up. She was young when it happened, and the memories have slowly faded. Now they only plague her at night. Children are strong like that." They fell into silence while he digested the information. He hated that the girls had to go through more because of their connection to him. He could only hope that he had enough strength to protect them from anything else that came.

When they got back to her place and Yahiko wasn't there, Kaoru was instantly worried. Considering the time and their track record, she had every right to be concerned. When they got to the gym, the concern only grew. The signs of a fight were obvious and there was blood on the ground. Kaoru was too shocked to move. He put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"We'll find him." He said. He pulled out his phone and contacted the other's. Having part of the police force on their side made contacting each other without being caught much easier.

* * *

Once she had met Raku's slave, Raku found it fit for him to be around almost every time they hung out. She had taken to calling the man Tau in her mind, since she refused to keep referring to him as the man or Raku's slave. Some might find it disturbing, that she named her ex-best friends slave after her murdered brother, but it worked for her. It kept him human, kept his pain fresh in her mind. And most of all, it stopped her from ever becoming something like Raku.

They were currently in Raku's room getting ready for the ball. Sano was waiting patiently outside. After that night things had gotten better. He stopped acting cold towards her. In public, he acted like her body guard and kept his distance. But he was well attuned to her feelings and always found a way to get closer to her when she was struggling. When they were away from prying eyes, he showed a kindness she had never seen before. He brushed her hair for her on occasion, held her when she needed it, and slept next to her, keeping her fears at bay. She was now immensely glad he was there, he kept everything barrable.

It was awkward, having Tau there while she was getting dressed, but she pushed the feeling aside. There wasn't anything she could do about it and she did see him avert his eyes when she was mostly naked. In a very short time she had formed a rather strange relationship with Tau. He seemed to understand she didn't want to hurt him and found way of communicating his needs to her through small gestures. She was then left with the task of helping him without Raku noticing.

"This is going to be so much fun," Raku bubbled as they did their makeup.

"I just hope I don't embarrass myself," she joked. "I haven't danced for quite some time."

"If something happens, just blame it on the man. It's always the man's fault," Raku said, she laughed. She would have to tell that to Sano later.

Makeup done, the left for the ball. She was mentally prepared, but she still gasped in awe when they got there. She forgot just how grand these balls could get. She directed Sano over to the side where he would watch from the sidelines, before heading with Raku to mingle. She felt bad for him, guards were stationed close to where the slaves waited, Tau among them.

She worked from group to group, chatting with everyone and dancing occasionally. Thankfully, her body remembered how to dance fairly well, so she didn't make a fool out of herself. By the time dinner was served, she was ready to sit down. She was seated next to two older men. The message was clear. The host didn't believe she deserved the attention of the younger, single men. She didn't care, the older men were her targets any way.

"Mr. Takeda, it's been a long time," she said in greeting.

"So, it has," he said with a creepy smile. "You look well."

"Raku has been most generous in helping me get back on my feet."

"She is a sweet girl."

"And a good friend. So how have you been? Is your business still doing well?" She asked politely. He ran a pharmaceutical business. There was no doubt in her mind that he was connected to the slave business.

"As good as it always is. Medicine is always needed. I believe we even sell to the hospital you work in." He said, easily steering the conversation to what he wanted. She would have to check later whether what he said had any merit. The last thing they needed was for him to taint medicine being sent to the hospital.

"I wouldn't know. My job is quite small." Now it was hear turn to steer the conversation. She waited to see if he took the bait or changed the topic.

"So, I've heard. If you don't mind me asking, what do you do there?"

"I help get rooms ready and keep the patients comfortable," she said demurely.

"Is it true you work with the partly trained slaves?"

"That is correct. I feel sorry for the poor creatures. Being torn away from something so good is hard on them. I do what I can to soften the blow," she said, using what she learned from Raku.

He nodded, "We've tried to stop the police from doing that, but it seems like the miscreants have their claws into the police."

"I wouldn't be surprised," she said, feigning disgust. "You saw their mark we ever you went down there. It was prolific."

"Let us hope they are caught soon," he said holding up his glass. She forced a smile and touched her glass to his in agreement.

Their conversation divulged into much less interesting topics. She pretended to look interested while part of her brain listened to other conversations. She hoped Sano was hearing something more interesting than she was.

After dinner, she danced with Kanryu before going and mingling some more. She was in the middle of a conversation when the room quieted. She turned to the front of the room where their host, Mr. Shibumi stood with a microphone.

"Thank you all for coming," came his croaky voice. "I have a very special surprise for you. A rare specimen has just arrived, so I would like to interrupt the festivities with a bit of business."

She swallowed thickly, guessing where this might be headed. Her fears were confirmed when a covered cadge was rolled up next to the man. She was mentally prepared for what was about to happen, but it took every fiber of her being to keep her mask of indifference in place when the cover was removed to reveal Yahiko. She was too far away to see his exact condition, but he looked dazed. She hoped dearly that the drug hadn't broken him.

"Now, any takers?" He said with a sickly smile.

She was about to open her mouth to speak when she noticed something, no one else was speaking. Normally people would be shouting over each other. Glancing out of the corner of her eye she saw people watching her. Maybe not directly, but they all seemed to be waiting to see what she was going to do. It was a test.

Once she realized that, reason started to make its way back into her mind. He hadn't been missing long enough for the drug to break him and he was still young, the drug would take longer if it worked at all. He was probably drugged with some other drug to keep him subdued. And it was highly unusual for things like this to happen at a ball. This was all for show to test her. She had no idea what would happen to him later, but she would worry about that tonight, when everyone wasn't scrutinizing her.

She flipped her hair and took on a look of boredom. Risking a glance towards Sano. He was tense, but he didn't move. She only hoped he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"No one?" Mr. Shimbumi said.

"He's a little young," Raku said looking bored.

"Is he even trained?" Someone else said.

Mr. Shimbumi smiled, "Good eyes. He's still being trained. I just wanted to give you a sneak peek, so you are all ready once he is fully trained." People stated laughing at this, she forced the laugh through her teeth as she watched Yahiko being taken away. Forgive me Kaoru, she thought.

The rest of the night dragged painfully on. It took everything she had to keep her cool and act happy. Sano was off to the side fuming. She just hopped he didn't hate her, though she hated herself. She had chosen the mission over her friend's student. She didn't know if Kaoru would ever forgive her.

"Why didn't you do anything?" Sano asked the moment they were in the safety of her home.

"It was a test. If I had done something they would have known. None of us would have gotten out alive." Sano ground his teeth but didn't say anything. "Is there any way you can get in contact with the others and let them know about Yahiko?"

"I'll see what I can do," he said and stormed off.

The next morning, they sat silently while they digested breakfast. Sano had successfully gotten a message out. Now all they could do is wait and hope. Neither of them had slept well. There was a knock on the door and she opened it to find Tau standing outside.

"I have come to deliver a message from Miss Raku," he said, she motioned for him to come in.

"What is it?" she asked trying to sound gentle but not in the mood to deal with her friend.

"Miss Raku is going to an auction and was wondering is Miss Megumi would like her too keep an eye out for any merchandise. She was unsure of your tastes."

She swallowed the bile in her throat, "Please tell Raku that I appreciate her thoughtfulness, but I would like to wait until I have a home of my own before…" She hated herself, "Before acquiring merchandise."

"I will deliver your response," he said, and she expected him to leave but he just stood there, looking at his feet. He glanced around before opening his mouth again, "That boy, you know him?" He asked softly.

The statement was so unexpected that it took her a second to realize what he said. Once she registered his words, she didn't know how to respond. Was this another test? When she didn't respond for a while he glanced up at her, meeting her eyes for a second. She felt her own eyes widen in shock when his eyes weren't vacant like she was used to, but full of life.

"They didn't break you," she said softly. His eyes returned to his feet.

"Given enough time, that which is broken can be mended," he replied just as softly.

A thousand questions bubbled into her mind, but she pushed them to the side, now was not the time. He was already risking so much, revealing this to her. "Yes, I know the boy," she said, hopping she wasn't making a mistake.

He nodded, she could feel he also had questions he didn't voice. The less the other knew, the safer they would all be. His posture returned to the way he had been trained. With a bow, he left.

"Who was it?" Sano asked as she returned to the dining room.

"Raku's slave. He had a message from Raku," she said. She would keep their quiet conversation to herself for now.

"Bout what?"

"Nothing pleasant," she said, and he didn't push.

She let her mind wander back to what Tau had said. He had regained part of himself. How had he done that? How long had he been a slave? Were there others like him? Why didn't he try to escape? None of the other slaves she had worked with had done what he had done. Why had he trusted her? It was a huge risk to take on someone he barely knew.

"What's on your mind?" Sano asked.

"Tau."

"Who?"

"The slave, I call him Tau."

"Interesting name."

"It was my brother's name," she said, and Sano's eyes widened. "I'm afraid of becoming like them. The name helps me remember his pain."

"You won't become like them," Sano said without hesitation.

She laughed humorlessly, "You fear it too."

"I did. But then I realized just how good you are at acting. How you need to act the way you do so they trust you. If you had a chance of becoming like them, you wouldn't be so horrified at sleeping in the bed he was forced onto. And, I have no intention of letting you become like them. If you slip, I'll be here to pull you back up."

Looking into his eyes she could see that for the first time he was being serious about his feelings. No beating around the bush and turning everything into a joke or argument. He was being completely serious. He wasn't going to let her go. She didn't know why his words caused a change, but they did. For the first time in a long time, she looked into the eyes of a man and her heartbeat increased. A warmth spread from her stomach to the rest of her body.

Before this moment she had seen him as something more than a friend, but not a lover. She was aware of his feelings, but she found herself uncapable of returning them, no matter how much she wanted to. Fear from her past mistake kept her from taking that step. In his one statement he had melted the fear that had held her in place for so long.

She didn't hesitate as she walked over to him and kissed him. If he was surprised, he didn't show it. He pushed her against the nearby wall, deepening the kiss. He held her tightly, but she knew if she pushed him away, he would move. Desire rolled off of him in waves, but he held himself back, letting her take the lead. He let her know what he wanted, liking her lips, but the choice to open her mouth was hers and she knew he wouldn't push.

Opening her mouth, she let his tongue enter. Moaning as he pushed her harder against the wall while his tongue explored her mouth. She clung to him as his tongue caused lightning bolts to lance through her body. It felt good and she wanted more. Surprisingly, it was Sano who broke the kiss first. Taking a step back he rested his forehead against hers while they caught their breath.

"Easy now fox," he said softly. She found herself unable to say anything. Her actions, while pleasant, had been unexpected. "I don't want to go too fast."

Her old attitude came back, and she smiled, "Sure your capable of patience rooster?"

"For you, I'm capable of anything," he said seriously. Taking her breath away. He sighed and placed his head on her shoulder. "This isn't the safest place for such things, no matter how much I want it."

It was then that the reality of their location hit her. If Raku had anyone spying on them, there would be problems. Not that she suspected Raku of doing that, since she and Sano had been sleeping in the same room for a while now and spying wasn't Raku's style. Sano was right though, it wasn't safe.

"When this is over fox…," he whispered in her ear before moving a respectable distance from her. The unsaid promise hung in the air, causing her legs to feel like jelly. It took her a few minutes before she was stable enough to move away from the support of the wall.

* * *

Kaoru was dying again, and he couldn't do anything. His body was frozen in place. "Yahiko," she whispered through bloody lips before the light left her eyes. He screamed.

The scene shifted, and he was a child, locked in the tunnels of Akira's home. It was too dark to see, and he imagined monsters living in the dark, only this time there were monsters. Hands reached out and grabbed him, dragging him further into the darkness where the monsters bit into his flesh and tore him apart.

Once he was nothing more than a bloody heap on the ground, the scenery changed again. He was standing with Dr. Gensai, the girls, Megumi, Tae and Tsubame. He moved towards them, but they avoided him. Glaring at him. He could do nothing as he watched them walk away, leaving him alone. He sunk to the ground in tears, not understanding what he had done to drive them away.

"Get out," he looked up to see Kaoru standing over him with a disgusted look on her face. "Get out, I never want to see you again." She said before lifting him up and throwing him out the door onto the street. He curled up where he landed, sobbing.

It felt like the pain had been going on for ages, but the rational part of his brain pointed out that it had only been a few hours. He had been practicing in the dojo when a bunch of men came in and grabbed him. He put up a fight, but a few well-placed blows incapacitated him. When he woke up he was in a cadge. They forced him to drink something that made his body numb. Then his cadge was moved out into a bright room full of color and noise. He couldn't focus his eyes or move, and his brain seemed to have turned to mush. Then he had left the room and been taken somewhere where. Something bitter was forced down his throat before he was thrown into the dark place he was in now. That's when the endless cycle of nightmares began.

The rational part of his brain that was still working pointed out that it was the slave drug, but the rest of him was in too much pain to care. He just wanted it to stop.

There was a click as someone opened a door. He didn't move but the rational part of his brain told him to keep his mouth shut, so he did. Someone lifted him up and forced his mouth open. His brain was too battered to put up much of a fight. He chocked until he realized they were giving him water, then he gulped it down with gusto. His throat was raw and sore from screaming.

"I'm sorry," a disembodied voice said. "I can't risk you making noise." With that he felt something get shoved into his mouth. He started to struggle but they were far stronger than him. "Please," the voice pleaded, and he stilled. There was something in the voice. He didn't think the voice meant him harm.

There was a rather odd sensation then, like he was floating. It took him a second to realize that he was being carried. He rested limply against the mysterious person as the nightmares scrabbled back into the forefront of his mind.

* * *

She never got time to talk to Aoshi. Yahiko went missing and they had all gone out to search. Her concerns and feelings for the man were pushed to the side. She could only hope the young boy didn't suffer like she had.

After searching all night and the next day, there was no sign of the boy or where he had gone. She was resting at the house, needing to regain some energy before going out again. Aoshi had shown up and was eating with her, but neither of them spoke. It wasn't because of her ignoring him, simply because neither of them wanted to speak. It was then that a message had come from Sano, finally giving them an idea of where Yahiko was.

Aoshi left a message for the others and then they had left. That was how they had found themselves in their current, rather awkward position. They had been searching the basement of Shibumi Nishi, when the room had flooded with men. They had taken cover in a small nook. They had fit, but their bodies were rather close. She couldn't help the blush, despite the situation. They stood in the shadows, hoping to whatever force that had kept them alive so far kept them from being seen.

When some of the men approached their hiding spot, Aoshi stiffened and pulled her closer to him, causing her heart to beat out of her chest. She tried desperately to keep her mind on the task at hand. They were in danger and Yahiko was missing, she told herself. But to no avail, her mind slipped back to Aoshi. How could it not? She was flush against him with him breathing in her ear.

Her heart seemed to be beating twice as fast as it humanly could. She frowned, focusing on her heart. But really, she thought, how was her heart beating so fast without her passing out? It was then that she realized that it wasn't just her heart. Aoshi's heart was beating fast too.

She figured it was just due to adrenaline, until she looked up and met his eyes. To most people, his eyes were unreadable. To her, they were like an open book, telling her what he could not say. What she saw caused her jaw to drop. There was the need to protect, that was obvious. But past that there was an intense possessiveness. Under that, there was a hint of desire. Finally, she saw what Kaoru had been pushing her to see. He did not see her as a child, of that she was now sure.

His sudden openness surprised her. She was elated but unsure. What now? She wanted to communicate back to him that she cared for him too, but she didn't know how. These feelings, they were all still new to her. She needed Kaoru there to tell her what to do, but Kaoru wasn't there. She looked away, suddenly shy and scared. Aoshi stiffened and did what he could to put space between them. He had read her reaction wrong and now he was hurting.

 _We know what heals and what hurts_ , Kaoru's words echoed in her mind. She had hurt him, but she could fix that. She reached up and curled her hands into his shirt, still too afraid to look him in the eye. She prayed he understood her. He was still for a long time before he wrapped his arms back around her and pulled her close. She sighed, her message had been received.

"Report," someone barked. Slamming them back into reality.

"Transport was uneventful. The kid was still drugged when we dropped him off. No one interfered," another voice responded. So Yahiko had been moved. Great, all this for a dead end.

"Were you followed?" The first voice said.

"No."

"Good. Dismissed."

"Still can't believe they went to such lengths to test a single woman," a new voice said as the men started to mill about.

"We must be careful. She spent a long time with them. We needed to make sure she was on the right side," the first voice said again.

"What was the verdict?" Someone pipped up and asked.

"She was indifferent to the boy, she's on our side," the first person replied.

So, they had kidnapped Yahiko to test Megumi, she thought. She was glad that Megumi hadn't been found out, but also slightly concerned. Megumi must have seen Yahiko, but she had acted indifferent? How had she done that? Was she still on their side?

It took a while for the men to leave but eventually the room emptied, and they emerged from their hiding spot. "We should get back and inform the others. We were gone longer than expected, they'll be worried," Aoshi said. She nodded and followed.

"Don't mention what we just heard to the others," Aoshi said. "She's still on our side, it was something she had to do to gain their trust. Megumi is smart, she would have realized it was a test. The others, especially Kaoru, don't need to know about it though. It could destroy their friendship."

She hated herself, but she had to ask, "How do you know she's still on our side?"

Aoshi sighed, "You still have much to learn about trust. If you cannot trust Megumi, then at least trust Sano. He would not stay with her if he thought she had changed sides."

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

He turned and gently brushed her cheek with his hand before turning back and continuing forward, "This world is not very good at teaching us how to trust."


	20. Chapter 20

**Here's the next chapter. I've gotten myself stuck again so it might take a little longer for the next chapter as I figure out what to do next. Also, I'm finishing up my research and getting ready to go home so I apologize if I don't update as frequently.**

 **Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The Merchandise

A scream rent the air, startling her from her sleep. A quick glance outside told her it was a little after dawn. Sano was sitting up groggily next to her.

"The hell," he said rubbing his eyes.

"It came from the main house," she said slipping out of bed and grabbing her overcoat. Sano wasn't far behind her. They ran to the main house and were let in by the servants. She followed the screaming to Raku's room.

When she opened the door, she was met with the temper tantrum of the century. Tau was cowering in the corner. Raku wasn't throwing things directly at him, more she was throwing things and some of them were hitting the man.

"Raku," She called but her friend didn't hear.

Cautiously she entered the room. Calling out to Raku a few more times to no avail. She intentionally slipped on a shirt on the ground. Causing her to fall in front of Tau and take the hit from a rather large book.

"Raku," She shouted getting up and grabbing the girl. Finally, Raku noticed she was there.

"Megumi? What are you doing here?"

"I heard screaming. Are you alright?"

"Ya it's just…urgh," Raku said throwing a pillow against the wall before sitting down. "Someone messed up and I lost something valuable. They had one job and they screwed up."

"What did you lose?" she asked with a mental sigh of relief. She thought something bad had happened. Raku might buy slaves, but she had a good side.

"My merchandise," Raku screamed. She moved away from the girl. Raku's anger was slightly terrifying though.

"Ok, can we find it again?" She asked feeling like she was dealing with a child.

"No. It's broken now. After all the effort I went through to get it and now it's broken."

"Do you know who took it?"

"No. And that's the annoying part. Whoever they are, they are very skilled. They slipped through our security unnoticed." Raku said, throwing another pillow that hit Tau. She bit her lip, wondering if the thieving friends Kaoru mentioned had anything to do with it.

"How about we get some food and calm down. Then we can see if we can discover anything," she said soothingly. Raku nodded and went to get dressed. While she waited she went around the room, picking up things that weren't broken. After a couple of seconds, Tau started to help. She was sitting on Raku's bed looking bored when Raku came out, so that Raku didn't see her and a slave working together.

They got breakfast in the garden, talking about silly things so that Raku calmed down. Halfway through breakfast a guard came out and Raku started yelling at him. Whoever the thief was, they had not tripped a single alarm. Which, from the sound of it, was rather difficult to do.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was stolen?" She asked once the man had been thoroughly tongue lashed.

"A rare piece of merchandise. It was brought here two nights ago, and I was waiting for it to be ready to sell." Raku's round about answer told her that Raku didn't want to say. So, she did what was expected of her, and stopped pushing.

"I'm sorry. Can you replace it?"

"Not with the same one. I liked the one I had."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Raku said. "That reminds me. I haven't told you about the auction I went to yesterday. It was quite the show. You should have come."

"I wanted to, but the ball tired me out more than I expected it to. Thank you for your offer by the way," she said. She had gotten good at being detached from the words that left her mouth so her true emotions didn't get through.

"Your welcome. How is the house search going?"

"Alright, I guess I'm just not use to such a large space so I'm uneasy about buying such a large house. I mean, what am I going to fill it with? I'm only one person."

"Well you can stay with us for as long as you want," Raku said taking her hand.

"But I feel bad. It's your house."

"I don't mind. It's been kind of nice to be back at the main house. Closer to my parents and not relying on just one slave to do everything."

"Well thank you. But I'll try and find my own place as soon as possible," she said. It was actually a problem she was figuring out, since in the long run she wouldn't need the house. She was still looking though, to keep up appearances. If she found something small she would get it. She didn't know how long their plan would take.

* * *

She couldn't bring herself to sleep, no matter how much Kenshin pushed her to. Not with Yahiko missing. Why had they taken him? He was still a child; the drug might not work on him. So then why take him? Aoshi had said it was to test Megumi, but then where was he now? What were they doing to him?

After Aoshi and Misao had returned to tell them that the lead had ended in a dead end she had gotten even more depressed. No one had any idea where he might be. An entire day of looking and they still had nothing.

"We'll find him," Kenshin said for the hundredth time. It did nothing to make her feel better.

"He's just a kid. I shouldn't have left him alone," she said. Kenshin wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

"It's not your fault Kaoru."

"I'm his guardian. I'm supposed to look after him."

Kenshin just squeezed her tightly, he couldn't deny the truth in her statement. "He's alive. Take comfort in that."

"But in what state?"

"I don't know. Be we will find him."

She let Kenshin hold her and try and assuage her anguish. His words did little to help, but he was there. He cared, and that was something. She fought the urge to cry, she would cry when they found Yahiko. She wouldn't waste precious time crying now.

Her phone rang, startling both of them. She sat up and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Kaoru?" Tae's voice came through. "You need to come to the hospital right away."

"Alright," she said and hung up. "It was Tae, she needs me at the hospital," she said to Kenshin as she grabbed her medicine kit. She was loath to do something other than look for Yahiko, but Tae wouldn't have called if it wasn't an emergency. She hoped Yahiko would understand.

"I'll keep looking," Kenshin said. Outside her apartment they split ways. She walked as fast as she could to the hospital.

Tae met her out front and immediately took her to the box, leading her to one of the furthest rooms. Her heart stopped when the door opened, and she saw Yahiko curled up in the corner. She wanted to run to him, but she knew the dangers.

"It's safe," Tae said.

She didn't need to be told twice. She dropped her things and ran to him, pulling him onto her lap.

"Kaoru," he said, his voice raw.

"I'm here," she said running her hand through her hair. "You're ok." Now, the tears fell freely.

"Your alive," he said, his voice breaking as he clutched her shirt tightly.

"I'm here," she repeated, holding him tight as he shook. "You're ok."

"Are you going to kick me out?" He asked softly.

"Never," she said pressing her cheek to the top of his head. "You're stuck with me."

At that he broke down completely. She held him tightly, whispering reassurances over and over again as tears fell down her own cheeks. He was alive. He was back. He was safe. She repeated this over and over in her mind to reassure herself.

Eventually, Yahiko fell asleep. She was unwilling to let him away from her side. So, she just sat there and held him. Listening to his breathing as the worry slowly left her body.

"How is he?" Tae asked, coming in with some tea.

"Asleep. Where did you find him?"

"I didn't. He was out front when I got here this morning. I have no idea how he got there." She looked down at the boy in her arms, he was in no state to escape. So, how had he gotten there?

"And his condition?"

"He was dosed once from what I can tell. It's heightened his insecurities, but that's the worst of it. He wouldn't talk to anyone. He just kept asking for you. We needed to make sure it was safe before calling you. That probably did more damage than we thought it would. He was fairly convinced you were dead by the time I called."

"You did what you had to do. Thank you," she said.

Tae nodded and smiled. "Mr. Saito is here to drive you home."

She stood up with Tae's help, making sure not to wake Yahiko. Saito met her outside. He smiled softly as he helped her into the car. The drive home was quiet, neither of them wanting to wake the boy.

"I'll let the others know," Saito said softly as he dropped them off. "Get some rest."

"Thank you," she said, awkwardly exiting the car.

It was a bit of a juggle, getting into her apartment with Yahiko in her arms, but she managed. Once she was sure the door and windows were locked, she retired to her room with Yahiko. She laid him on her bed and curled up next to him, one arm wrapped protectively around him. Then, she fell asleep.

The smells of cooking woke her up. Yahiko was curled up as close as possible to her with his hands gripping her shirt. Gently, she shook him awake. His eyes were red and raw.

"Hay there sleepy head," she said smiling gently. He rubbed his eyes, sitting up, but didn't move away from her. She wrapped her arms around him again and he leaned into her. "I'm glad your safe," he nodded. "Your throat hurt?" Another nod. "Let's get you some tea."

They stood up, but he stayed close to her. They walked out of her room to find Kenshin in the kitchen.

"Food's almost done," Kenshin said.

"Kenshin, there should be a black container with a white lid in the pantry. Can you use it to make some tea?" She asked while she and Yahiko sat down on the couch. Soon she was forcing Yahiko to drink the tea while she ate.

Yahiko still stayed close to her, but he was slowly becoming himself again. Calling her annoying and ugly a few times when she continued to force food and tea down his throat. The drug had hurt him, but there was no lasting damage. All he needed to know was that it hadn't been real, and his brain quickly pushed the pain away. The fears would quickly become just fears again. It wouldn't haunt him like it did Misao.

"You'll be happy to know that I think Aoshi and Misao finally figured things out," Kenshin said as they ate. They would push Yahiko for answers when he was a little less raw.

"You think?" She said smiling.

"I don't know what else would make Aoshi so happy. He almost smiled, that he did." She laughed and could feel Yahiko laugh quietly.

"I'm glad. Took them long enough."

"I don't know who took me," Yahiko said suddenly.

She looked at him, "You don't have…"

He shook his head, cutting her off. "I want to. They wore masks, I never got a good look at them. When I woke up I was in a cadge. Some soldier looking person forced me to drink something that made me numb and I had trouble seeing."

"Probably something that causes temporary paralysis," she said.

"Then they took me into a place full of light and color. I don't really know what people were saying, but there were people talking. Then they took me away again and put me in a car. I don't know how long we drove, but we came to a large house. Somehow we went under the house and I was thrown in another cadge before being dosed with the drug."

She ran his hand up and down his back for comfort. "Do you remember how you got to the hospital?"

"Someone came into the cell later. I don't think they were a guard. They gave me some water and then gagged me. I don't remember much past that, but they were carrying me. I vaguely remember the gag being removed."

"Do you have any idea who they were?"

"It was a man but that's all I know. I couldn't see anything. There was something in his voice that made me trust him."

"Well, whoever he is, he has my thanks," she said. She had no idea who had known where Yahiko was or where to find him, but she hoped to one day meet them. She would have to contact Shura, to see if her group had anything to do with this.

"Do you know why they took me?" Yahiko asked. She quickly filled him in on what she knew. "Is Megumi alright?"

"She's fine from the sound of it," She said.

"Miss. Megumi's smart, that she is," Kenshin said. "We will work on informing her that you are alright. She and Sano were quite worried."

"Sorry," Yahiko said.

"There's no reason to apologize, that there isn't," Kenshin said looking Yahiko in the eyes. "It was not your fault. We are just glad you are back and in one piece."

"That we are," she echoed, hugging the boy. Yahiko grumbled and pulled away from her slightly. She just grinned and pulled him closer to annoy him.

"Le'go ugly," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice. He was going to be fine.

"Not a chance," she said.

"Now now," Kenshin said as they started play fighting. "Let's not break anything. I just finished cleaning." Yahiko just tackled him in response, causing a startled oro from the man. She laughed. Yahiko was back and he was alright, nothing could make her happier at the moment.


	21. Chapter 21

**I'm sorry this is so late. I'm back home now so I will try to be better about posting weekly again, but no promises. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The Friend

She sat on the balcony of the second floor of the house and looked towards the main house. She had spent almost half of her childhood there, playing with Raku. They had done everything together. Raku had even supported her when she got married to a commoner. No one else had done that. Now, she questioned if all of that had just been a dream. If the girl she remembered was just a figment of her imagination.

"You alright?" Sano said sitting a respectful distance away from her.

"I had hoped that Raku had gotten involved with the slaves because she didn't know any better. That I could change her. She was my best friend. She was there for me when no one else was. I had hoped…but I guess I was a fool."

"What brought this on?"

"Yahiko being saved."

"I don't understand," Sano said.

"You don't find it odd that Yahiko was saved the same day Raku's _merchandise_ goes missing."

"It is odd. You think Yahiko was her merchandise?"

She nodded, "I think Raku readily engages in the slave trade and training. And I think she's been playing us the entire time. Think about it, she's the one who offered me a place to stay. She waits until I'm comfortable before bringing Tau out. She says her mother got Tau for her but she's the one that goes to auctions. She's the one person who has never asked about my hospital work. And she acts like an air- head so we are comfortable around her."

"You think she was the one to kidnap Yahiko?"

"No one did anything until she spoke. Yahiko ended up in her possession. And my guess is, Yahiko would have ended up here after he was broken, as a final test. That's why she was so angry he was gone."

"But why go after Yahiko?"

"Because she can't get Karou?"

"Will she go after the others?"

"Maybe. My guess is, if she's going to try again it will be Tae or Tsubame. They are the next closest to me."

"Do you think she suspects us even after the ball?"

"I think the ball assuaged some of her concerns. But the longer I refuse to buy a slave, the more suspicious she will get."

Sano sighed, "For now we warn the others. Then we see if there is a way around that problem. We know her game now, we won't be fooled again."

"But we can't act until we have her convinced. The other's listen to her."

"One step at a time," Sano said.

She sighed and held her head in her hands, "She was a good person. What happened to change her?"

"You went one way, she went the other. You learned that the lower class were humans while she didn't." Sano said quietly.

"But what makes someone so cruel as to kidnap a child just to test someone? What causes something to go from a living creature to an object?"

"People," Sano said sadly. "When you trust someone, and they tell you something. You believe them. When no one criticizes the way you act, you come to believe you are in the right. If you never question why things are the way they are, then things never change. If we had fought this when it started, maybe we could have stopped it. But now it is ingrained in the way they live. They do not know life without slaves. They fight us because they believe they are in the right and, like all humans, they fear change.

"At it's core, this fight isn't about slavery or class distinction. It is simply about change. We are changing the way people live. And that is not an easy battle to win. We can't just end slavery. We must completely destroy their lifestyle to even stand a chance at making a better life. Which is hard, because we need them to keep order. We can't just change everything, that would just cause chaos. We need to change everything to stand a chance, but we can't destroy everything without causing chaos. We walk on a very thin line. True success is nearly impossible and failure is easy."

She looked at the man sitting across from her. Those were not things she ever expected to come from the man who showed up on her doorstep beaten up, drunk, or both almost every night. "Where'd you learn something like that," she teased lightly.

"From the man who raised me," he said smiling. "He dreamed of a better future, but he understood how delicate order is and how dangerous chaos is. It's why he tried to work with the upper-class, to bridge that gap." Sano's fist's tightened, "But in the end they were just using us. We were a means to an end and were disposed of afterwards."

She knew a little about his life. How he was raised by a man who lead a small group of fighters. He talked about his childhood often when he was drunk. She also knew he had met Kenshin while trying to get revenge for his fallen comrades. He was the one to help Kenshin get away from the grasp of the upper class. But, Sano never willingly talked about how his foster father and comrades had fallen.

"Why did he choose to fight for the upper-class?" She pushed. "What did he think it would do?"

"Captain Sagara thought that if we were all fighting towards the same goal. Status could be forgotten. He just didn't realize that the goals were different."

"I'm sorry," she said.

"He might not be alive any more, but his beliefs live on. They could get rid of him, but not what he stood for."

"Let us hope we can seceded where he did not. Let us hope we can win this fight."

"Hope is what's got us this far. What do we do now?" Sano asked.

"We pay closer attention to Raku and try to figure out what she is planning. We might also be able to use her to find other leaders and locations where slaves are being kept. We know her game now, let's get ahead of her before she pulls another stunt like she did with Yahiko. I also want you to keep an eye on Tau."

"Why?"

"He's not as broken as he appears. It's an act. I want to know if there are more like him. Keep track of the other slaves he interacts with."

"When did you find that out?" He asked grumpily, she just smirked.

"Tau might be able to help us with the slave problem. If we can find someone like him, we might be able to assuage Raku's fears without…well without losing our humanity. Just keep an eye on him and leave the communicating up to me," She knew Sano meant well, but she didn't trust him to be discrete enough. The last thing she wanted was for Tau to be hurt because of their actions.

"Do you think he helped Yahiko escape?" Sano asked.

She hesitated, she hadn't even thought about that, but Sano was right. Tau probably had something to do with that. "Probably," she said softly. "Keep an eye on him. If something goes wrong I don't want him dying."

Sano nodded, "I can do that. You just be careful around Raku, she's a lot more dangerous than either of us expected."

* * *

"Raku, Raku Eden. What do you know about her?" She asked, looking across the table at Eichi. Their friendship was barley intact and she didn't know which side he stood on, but he had information. Information Saito didn't have because Saito didn't take bribes.

"She's the young heiress of the Eden family. They have a shipping company. Why?"

"She's an old friend of Megumi. I'm just curious."

"Karou, I want to help. If I was going to turn you guys in you think I would have done something by now. I'm not an idiot. I know Megumi's re-entry into society has something to do with the Battousai. If I was going to say anything, don't you think I would have by now."

"How do I know you haven't? Yahiko was just kidnapped."

"I swear I had nothing to do with that," Eichi said.

"I want to believe you," she said honestly. "You have no idea how much. But I don't. I can't. Not after everything that's happened."

"How can I get you to trust me again. We might have our differences, but I'm as against the slave trade as you are."

"Time. You have to give me time Eichi. What happened between us isn't going to heal quickly. No apology can fix that."

Eichi sighed, "I know. I'll see what I can dig up on her."

"Discreetly," she said, he nodded, and she stood up. "Thank you. I should get going, but Eichi," he looked up at her. "If you take bribes from the upper class, then you support the slave trade."

She left him to think about that. Then she started the long walk back home. When Eichi had asked to meet, she had wanted to just refuse but then the things with Raku came up and she needed information. She knew there was every chance Eichi was working with Raku, but they had decided it was worth the risk. Megumi knew what she was doing and had an escape plan in place incase things went wrong.

"How'd it go?" Master Hiko asked, appearing at her side. It was still day time, so it was too dangerous for Kenshin to be walking around outside. Instead Master Hiko had accompanied her in case it was a trap. Thought she doubted whether the man would have been much help in his hung-over state.

"He said he would look into her."

"Do you believe him?"

"He seemed sincere…but I don't know. I still want to believe he's a good person. Even after everything he's done. My judgement is probably clouded. Only time will tell."

"If it's any conciliation, I believed he was sincere," Master Hiko said. She looked over at the man, wondering how such a large man had overheard their conversation without being noticed.

"Is someone following him?"

"Aoshi is. He was rather annoyed when we couldn't find anything at that woman's house. He needed something to keep him occupied."

"We'll find something eventually. Raku is good at staying hidden. If we had found something the first time we searched her house, I would have been surprised. She fooled Megumi, which is not an easy thing to do. It will take time. But we know what she is, we won't stop until she is stopped."

"We know, but we can all be a little illogical when it comes to those we care about. Even Aoshi is no exception to that."

She nodded, they were all on edge. It was infuriating to finally have a lead but be unable to find anything. The longer it took, the more people would be hurt. The longer it took for them to know what Raku was up to, the higher the chances that Raku would try something again.

* * *

"Is there a reason you want information on the heiress of the Eden family?" A tall man asked Eichi. After talking to Karou, Eichi had returned to the police station. He had done what Hiko-san had instructed and followed. So far Eichi had done nothing suspecious, but he had decided to stick around to see what happened. So far, Eichi was failing at indiscreetly looking into Raku.

"Just some follow us stuff. She had some stuff stolen a few days ago."

"I didn't think you were assigned to that case," the man said.

"I had some time, so I thought I would help out," Eichi said smoothly. He had to give Eichi credit, the man knew how to lie convincingly.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Miss Raku potentially being connected to the slave trade, does it?" The man said. Eichi's shock reflected his own, he was now cursing himself that he didn't know who this man was.

"What are you talking about Inspector Yamagata?" Eichi gritted out, trying to hide his shock. He remembered the name for later investigation.

"Why don't you grab Captain Saito and come meet me in my office," The Inspector said and walked away. He watched Eichi go and get Saito and then followed them into the office. It was kind of depressing how easy it was for him to sneak around the station. He was a full-grown man in a cramped police station and yet no one had noticed him.

The Inspector was sitting at his desk looking at the two men. Saito was doing a much better job of hiding his nervousness. He mentally planned out some escape routes for Saito incase things went south.

"So," the inspector said. "Mind filling me in on your investigation into the slave industry?"

"I'm sorry," Eichi said, failing at hiding his nervousness.

"It's rather convenient that one of the top doctors for the slave recovery unit just happens to be from the upper class."

"Miss Megumi is from the upper class," Saito pointed out.

"I am well aware of her heritage. I did work the case of her parents being murdered. I just find her timing a little convenient. So, mind filling me in on what's going on."

The room was silent for a while before Saito eventually spoke, "There is no need to tell you what you already know."

The inspector laughed, "Fair. Well, as Chief Inspector of the police, I cannot publicly support your actions, at least not yet. I suggest you do your digging a little more discreetly. There are still those in the force that report to the upper class. Don't want them becoming suspicious until we are ready to move."

He studied the man who just a few minutes ago was just the police inspector. Now he saw more than that. This man's words indicated that he was planning something. They might have more of the police force on their side than they initially suspected.

"How are you so informed about our actions?" Saito asked, looking completely relaxed but his words revealed the tension he was hiding.

"Aside from recent events that puts both of you in a rather odd light, I happen to be friends with Okubo Toshimichi. Miss Takani has dropped a few hints at her true alliances. He asked me to look into it."

"And where do you stand?" Saito asked.

"I lost someone I loved to the slave trade. Like you, I am against it. I have been trying to bring it down for some time, but I have a moral obligation to follow the law, which makes it hard to do much. Thankfully you're now friends with those that do not have issues breaking the law."

All three of them stared back at the inspector in shock. The man smiled, "Kenshin and I are also acquainted. He helped me with a problem a few years back."

He resisted the urge to leave right then and there and go back and throttle Kenshin for keeping his connection to the Police Chief Inspector a secret.

"Good to know," Eichi said.

"Well, now that we are all on the same page, maybe we can work together," the Inspector said. "I think we can both profit from the exchange of information. I cannot help directly, but I can help discreetly if the need arises."

"We will discuss it with the others," Saito said.

"Good, dismissed," Saito and Eichi turned to leave when the Inspector stopped them. "Oh, if you want information of Miss Eden, you might want to look into Miss Takani's first husbands family." With that the Inspector pushed them out of his office and left to go talk to some other people.

He knew he should keep an eye on Eichi, but he decided reporting to the others with the new information was more important. He would report and then come back and continuing monitoring Eichi. Hopefully Saito would keep an eye in Eichi while he was gone.


	22. Chapter 22

**So, I'm failing at updating regularly. Sorry about that. I promise I will finish the story, but updates probably won't be as regular. School started, and life has become a little hectic. Sorry this chapter is a little short and choppier than normal. I just wanted to lay a bunch of stuff out at once. Hope you enjoy.**

The Sickness

The hospital was swamped, to the point where she had been asked to come in part time and help. The reason for all the people, well that was because they had just poisoned most of the adults in the city. Shura had managed to contaminate the ingredients before they came to the city, so it was almost impossible for the blame to land on her or Kenshin.

She had spent hours searching for something that would do what she wanted without potentially killing someone. Anything she thought of had side effects that could cause serious harm and, since she was already combining it with alcohol and affecting a large group of people, it was too risky. No matter how much they needed to change how the upper class perceived them, she wouldn't risk killing someone. She was better than them. She valued all life.

The solution she had come to her was a simple one. She didn't need to get everyone sick, because they possessed something that was just as useful. Vanity. After that clicked in her mind it wasn't hard to find a herb that caused a rash. All she needed was a rather large dose of burdock root. Shura and her group were more than willing to help them contaminate a factory and their plan was set in motion. It wasn't long before people started showing up at the hospital with complaints.

They had to let the doctors search for a cure for a while before _accidently_ discovering one. She warned people not to take alcohol while using her topical medicine, since there could be a reaction between the two. People were warned to not consume alcohol for twenty-one days. While it is always good practice to not mix alcohol and medicine, the warning was mostly to give Aoshi and Misao time to break into people's houses and replace the contaminated alcohol.

They were all being kept busy as more people showed up to the hospital. It only took a few weeks before upper-class women started showing up, desperate to remove the rashes and regain their beauty. Because of this, they were able to keep Megumi out of informing the upper class, which she had hoped for after learning how dangerous Megumi's current predicament was.

"How's it going?" Kenshin asked as she walked back into her apartment and flopped down on the couch.

"Next time I suggest something like this, stop me," She said. "You should have heard the tantrum that ensued when I told a group of upper class women that they had to wait to be seen."

"They are used to getting what they want when they want it, that they are," Kenshin said handing her a cup of tea.

"They definitely aren't used to lower class people getting something before them."

"Is it working?"

"Slowly. Some of the women even offered to help out in the hospital. I think they might have been friends of Megumi. It is working, but it is also draining on everyone else. And some of them are too stubborn to come to us."

"But those are the ones we need to focus on. Your plan bridges the gap between the classes and brings out the ones that truly believe we are better off as slaves."

She smiled at him, he always knew what to say to make her feel better. She leaned back against him and they sat for a while, enjoying each other's company. Others might find it odd, that they spend so much time sitting together without talking, but they didn't. The communication during those times were far stronger than any words could convey.

Kenshin sighed, "One should get going, that one should."

"Ah, right. To meet with the police chief friend, you forgot to tell everyone about," She said with a laugh. It had been rather amusing to have Aoshi come back and start berating Kenshin for not mentioning his connection to Inspector Yamagata.

"As I said before, I was unaware of his change in position. I knew him a long time ago, that I did."

She just laughed and continued to tease him as he got ready to go. "Be careful," she said, and pulled him down for a quick peck on the lips before shoving him out the door before he got any ideas.

He stood outside Kaoru's door for a few seconds, regaining his composure. She had been doing that frequently. Little signs to remind him of her affection. Jut little things here and there, but it was driving him insane. Every time she did it he had to fight the desire to just stay with her and forget all his duty's. All he wanted was to be by her side, always.

He sighed and pushed himself away from her door. There were things that needed to be done. A war that needed to be won. Once the war was done he could only hope she would still be there.

The streets were quiet as he made his way through the darkness. The streets had become quieter since Kaoru's sickness had taken hold. That and people were becoming more aware of the kidnappings that happened at night. Slowly their influence was growing, and people were listening to them. Now all they could do was hope. Hope that with the sickness came a change of mind. That a majority of the upper-class could be swayed to believing that slavery wasn't the answer. Then they would move to the next step of removing those from power who still believed slavery was a good thing, hopefully without too much violence.

"You're late," Master Hiko said, appearing out of the darkness as he neared the meeting point. He didn't grace his master with a reply. They made their way cautiously towards the meeting point. He truly believed Mr. Yamagata was an honorable man, but they still needed to be cautious.

"It's been a long time," Mr. Yamagata said when they finally appeared before him after checking the perimeter for a trap.

"So it has," he said with a smile. "That's a fine mustache you've grown."

"Thanks," Mr. Yamagata said, and silence fell. Mr. Yamagata cleared his throat. "Right. Down to business. Does the sickness going around the city have something to do with you?"

He thought for a second before responding, "I didn't start it, if that's what you're asking. But I do know where it is originating from."

Mr. Yamagata gave him a look that said he was not amused. "Poisoning two thirds of the city is pushing it, even for me." He heard the danger in the words. Mr. Yamagata had limits. He was an ally only if they didn't push things too far. Mr. Yamagata had his bounds and would stick to them. They would lose him if they stepped outside those bounds

"Since the sickness started, how has the upper-classes view of the lower class changed?" He asked.

Mr. Yamagata thought for a while before a smile crept onto his face, "So that's why you did it. I was starting to worry that we might have different goals after all."

"Not different goals, just different approaches," he said with a smile. "Though I can assure you the sickness does no more than attack their vanity."

"So, where should I be looking to solve this mystery?"

"I wouldn't suggest drinking alcohol until this mystery has been solved," he said with a grin.

"That's not much help," Mr. Yamagata said.

"If you figured it out too quickly people would get suspicious, that they would."

"Fair point," Mr. Yamagata conceded. "Take care of yourself Kenshin. I'm glad to see you are doing well," he said and walked away.

"He's a good man," Master Hiko said as they walked back towards home. It was a surprising comment coming from his usually taciturn mentor. Master Hiko must have sensed his surprised because he elaborated. "It is not an easy thing to stick to your beliefs while trying to change the world around you."

"When this is all over, he will make a good military leader," He said. He had respect for Mr. Yamagata, for standing by the laws he swore to uphold while trying to overthrow the upper-class. They were afraid of a military coup, but with Mr. Yamagata at the helm, they were less afraid. Mr. Yamagata didn't want to lead, he simply wanted to protect.

"I've been thinking about what you said, about being able to continue using your home," she said to Raku as they drank tea. She needed to be careful about how she said this, otherwise Raku might get suspicious.

"What about it?" Raku asked.

"Would it be alright if I stayed for a while longer. I keep looking at houses, but they are all too big. Anything smaller are in places I'd prefer not to live. And if I think about it logically, either I get a house and spend the rest of my life by myself. Or I find someone who accepts my mistakes and then I will live with him. I don't know. Do you think it is odd of me not to want to buy a house?"

"No, I think if I was in your position, I'd do the same thing. After all, we would normally live with our parents until marriage and then we would move in with our husbands. Men are often intimidated by a woman who acts too independent. It makes finding a husband harder. Besides, I enjoy being to see you all the time, just like when we were kids."

She smiled, "Thanks."

"Your welcome."

"Since I'm staying for a while, I was thinking of investing in some merchandise," she said demurely.

Raku clapped her hands in excitement, "Ooohhhh, excellent. What kind are you thinking?"

"I was thinking one like yours to begin with, since I'm inexperienced," she said this looking straight at Tau, hoping dearly he got her message and didn't see her actions as a betrayal.

"I'll start looking for you and let you know when I've found some options."

"Thanks," she said, and their conversation devolved into simple conversation about unimportant things.

"Do you think she bought it?" Sano asked once they were back in the house.

"I think, but I don't know how good I am at reading her. After all, she did fool us completely."

"And Tau?"

"I don't know. I only hope he understood what I was trying to say. Otherwise we've lost his trust forever."

"And what do we do if he doesn't understand. We could end up…" Sano couldn't finish his sentence, but she understood.

"If we don't hear from him soon. Then we get a message to the others and see if they can find someone willing to pretend to be a slave." If it came down to that, it would be a lot harder to get Raku to believe the slave was real, but it was their only other option. She wouldn't be able to stand herself if Raku brought her a truly broken person.

Eichi stood outside the fence and looked towards the house. It wasn't a large mansion, but it still looked like a mansion to him. It was still larger than a normal house. He had followed Chief Yamagata's suggestion, and this is where it had lead him. Now he wasn't quite sure what to think. There was only one question that kept bouncing around inside his head.

How had a pour farming family been able to afford something like this?


	23. Chapter 23

**Well, I guess updates are coming more on a monthly basis, sorry about that. School is school. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The Secrets 

There was a knock on her door and she opened it to find the Police Inspector outside. "Can I help you?" She asked, keeping the door mostly closed and putting her foot behind the door so he would have a hard time forcing it open.

"Are you Kaoru Kamiya?" He asked.

"Yes," she answered cautiously.

"I'm not here on police business," he said, accurately reading why she was nervous. "I'm here to enquire whether you've seen Eichi recently."

"What?" She asked, letting the door open more.

"He hasn't been to work all week. I was hoping you might know where he is."

"I haven't seen or heard from him in over a week," She said.

"May I come in?" He asked.

She hesitated for a second before opening the door and letting him in. Yahiko was in the kitchen and watched them silently. "Would you like anything to drink?" She asked, falling back on etiquette.

"No. Thank you. I won't take up too much of your time," he said sitting down where she indicated.

"So, Eichi is missing? Why did you think he was here?"

"Well you two know each other and last time I talked to him he was looking into Miss. Raku which is connected to your friend."

"I'm sorry. I haven't seen him. Do you know where he was last?" She asked, slightly worried.

"He wanted to look into Miss. Raku and I told him he should look into Miss. Takani's husband's family."

"Why?"

"There's just something off about them. I figured I could use him to finally look into them, but now I'm worried something might have happened."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, but it's not like him to not show up. Unless he's done something stupid and is moping at home again. But he wasn't there when I went by nor is he at any of the bar's he frequents. No one has seen him all week. I was hoping you and your friends might know more or be willing to look into it for me." He said, making it rather obvious who he was talking about. She should have guessed he knew about her connection to Kenshin, but it was still a bit of a surprise. Kenshin said he was trustworthy, but she was quickly learning not to trust.

"I will," she said after a moment's hesitation. No use trying to deny what the man already knew. "Please let us know if you hear anything." He nodded and then left.

"Why do we care?" Yahiko said once the man was gone. "Eichi isn't exactly on our side."

"But he's trying to change. And he was only looking into Raku because I asked him to. If something happened to him because of that, then I'm partly to blame. Besides, if he found something that was big enough for someone to make a policeman disappear, then we might want to know what it is."

"Fine. But I still don't like him," Yahiko said.

She smiled and ruffled his hair, "I'm not asking you to," she said while he made an annoyed sound and tried to fix his hair.

"Still…" she said, trailing off as her mind wandered.

"What?" Yahiko asked when she didn't say anything.

"He said he told Eichi to look into Megumi's husband's family for information on Raku. Why would he say that?"

Yahiko was silent for a while. "He wouldn't have said that unless there was some connection between the two."

"That's what concerns me," she said. She tried to go back to sorting her herbs, but her mind couldn't stay focused. If that man was connected to Raku, then there was more going on than any of them expected and Megumi could be in a lot of trouble.

"You look troubled, that you do," she looked up to find Kenshin's face inches from her own. She let out a startled shriek and fell over.

"Kenshin. When did you get here?"

"About five minutes ago," Yahiko said between laughs. She shot him a glare and accepted Kenshin's hand up.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in thought," she said.

"Yahiko told me what happened. You're that worried about him," Kenshin said, failing to hide his anger.

"Not really him but Megumi. If Raku is connected to the man that murdered her family, then she could be in a lot more danger than she knows."

"I'll talk to Aoshi and see what he can dig up," Kenshin said, relaxing.

"Thanks. But tell him to be careful. If something did happen to Eichi because he stuck his nose where it is not wanted, then they'll be on alert." Kenshin nodded. "And promise me none of this will reach Megumi until we are sure, it's the last thing she needs right now."

"Promise," Kenshin smiled. "How is the hospital?"

"Good. Better than I had ever planned. There are quite a number of ladies that come daily to help out. They've really helped decrease the load and they help minimize the number of temper tantrums. A couple have even gone as far as apologizing for thinking we were stupid. I don't think any of them have gone as far as rejecting slavery, but it's an improvement."

"We can't expect them to change their way of life that quickly. We can only hope that they stop participating in the buying of slaves. Once that happens the industry will start to lose money and it will slow down."

"Most of the city is more aware of what's going on," Yahiko added. "They aren't kidnaping nearly as many people anymore."

"Let's just hope these changes don't drive the people in charge to do something drastic," she said.

"If they do, we'll stop them," Kneshin said. "You can't fight a war if everyone's against you."

"That doesn't stop them from killing a lot of people along the way," she said, unable to shake her dark mood.

Kenshin pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. "When the world becomes broken, it falls to the people to fix it. None of us wish to die, but if we do, then we die fighting for the rights of our children and their children, and all the generations to come."

"I still don't like the thought," she said, burying her face in his shoulder.

"You're not supposed to. But it's that thought that pushes people past their fears, so they can stand up and fight for what's right."

"It's not meant to be easy, but it is meant to be doable," Yahiko said. She reached out and pulled him onto the hug. He allowed himself to be hugged, though there was a lot of complaining. She hoped with every fiber of her being that they would make it out of this and be able to live a peaceful life.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Raku asked her excitedly. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat as she looked at the four people in front of her. Two were men and two were women. They were the slaves Raku had handpicked for her.

"I…I don't know," she managed to choke out. She looked at Tau out of the corner of her eye, he was staring intently at one of the women with short black hair. She prayed that this was his way of communicating that the woman was like him.

She slowly walked down the line, pretending like she was apprising them while in her mind she was apologizing for her actions. Vacant eyes stared back at her until she got to the woman Tau had been looking at. There was only a brief flash of something in the woman's eyes, but it was enough for her.

"This one," she said, nonchalantly pointing at the woman.

"I thought you would have gone for one of the men," Raku said, looking slightly peeved. "I thought you might want some practice," she said, drawing out the last word to make the innuendo even more obvious.

"That's unnecessary," she said, and she caught a glint of something in Raku's eyes that made her uneasy.

"Well, it's your choice. I handpicked them. So, they are all good," Raku said. "Go get the paperwork," She said to Tau. He bowed and walked off.

"So, why'd you pick that one." Raku asked while they waited.

"She seems like she would be good at house work," she said.

"Not worried about her tempting your guard?" Raku asked, and it finally hit her. Raku thought she was sleeping with Sano. While that wasn't exactly wrong, it wasn't the kind of sleeping with Raku was thinking. They were simply in the same bed.

She snorted, "I've seen his type, she's not it. Besides, I pay him enough to take his needs somewhere else. He knows better than to do such things in my home." Raku just smiled, making her uneasy.

Tau came back with the paperwork and before long she was officially a slave owner. She wanted to be sick, but she held her composure as she led the woman back to her home. Once they were safely inside she sagged against the wall.

"Please tell me you're like Tau," she said, facing the woman.

"Who?" The woman asked, falling out of her submissive posture.

"Raku's…" she waved her hand, unable to call him a slave.

"Ah, I didn't know that was his name."

"It's not. It's what I call him."

"Ah, well to answer your question, yes, I am like him."

"Thank god," she said, sinking to the floor. "I don't know if I could live with myself if I'd been wrong."

"He said you were different, but I didn't believe him. I only agreed to this because I owed him my life. But you really do care."

"Yes. I know that might be hard for you to believe and I'm not asking you to trust me. I simply needed to get Raku to trust me. I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

"As I said. I'm doing this for him."

"Thank you. Do you have a name?" The woman shook her head. "Is there a name you like or something I can call you?"

"I don't remember who I was," the woman said sadly.

"Our names don't define us, they are simply a way to differentiate between people because saying hay you all the time would get rather confusing. Think about it and let me know what name you'd like," she said softly.

"What name would you give me?"

She studied the woman. "Kusanagi."

"Why that name?"

"I know the name comes from a legendary sword. But I'm actually thinking of kanji weed inside the name. Weeds can be trampled on again and again, but they will continue to live. It's who you are. They tried to destroy you, but you never died."

The woman smiled faintly, "Kusanagi it is."

"Well, Kusanagi, make yourself at home. As I said, I only needed to do this to get Raku's trust. You don't need to do anything while here, though I will need you to go out with me on occasion to keep up appearances, and I apologize now for anything I say in public."

"She's a good actor, don't believe everything she says out there," Sano said, making Kusanagi jump.

"He's harmless," she said since Kusanagi looked nervous.

"Hay now. I take offence to that," Sano said indignantly.

"Deal with it rooster head," she said sarcastically, wacking him on the side of the head. "Your intimidating her."

"It's not my fault I'm so manly," Sano said suggestively.

She scoffed, "That's not the reason your intimidating."

"Why are you guys here?" Kusanagi asked before Sano had time to come up with a retort.

"To bring an end to the slave trade with as little loss of life as possible," she said. Kusanagi's eyes widened.

"Your part of that group I've heard about. The one that keeps finding dens and wreaking havoc for the upper-class."

"Yes, though obviously we don't want anyone else finding out about that."

"Of course. I just never thought I would ever meet any of you. Any of us who regained the ability to think for ourselves knows about you. That's why Tau is willing to help you despite the risk."

"How many of you are there?" She asked.

"About a hundred of us. The training they use wears off after about a year and a half."

"Why don't you escape?"

"We don't have anywhere to go. We regain the ability of free thought, not our memories. We stay because we can make more of a difference here. No one suspects us, so we can get away with quite a lot."

She looked at the woman in amazement. It took a lot of courage to stay and help others instead of just escaping. There was a network of slaves within the upper-class fighting the battle in their own way.

"That takes more courage than I think I poses," she said.

"You're the one facing them head on. We hide in the shadows. I'd say you're the one with more courage."

"How did Tau get you picked. Raku said she handpicked you guys."

"First of all, Tau knows what Raku likes and I'm a pretty good actor. Also, most of the people like me try to get placed close to the people involved in the slave trade, that way we can make the most difference. Suffice it to say, we are good at being slaves."

She sighed, "I wish you didn't have to go through that. Those people are cruel."

Kusanagi smiled, "Well, if our groups work together, then we can put an end to it for good and no one will have to suffer. After all, I probably know the hierarchy of the slave traders better than you do. I can help you target the right people."

She smiled, they would get along nicely. After a short tour, she left Kusanagi to get settled into whatever room she wanted while she and Sano prepared dinner. After a while, Kusanagi joined them and insisted on helping. She said it would be good for her to know the kitchen incase Raku came over. She also insisted on taking over some of the chores, since Raku might come to check how things are going and because she would get bored.

Kusanagi was rather amused by how she and Sano interacted and was very surprised when they not only slept in the servant's quarters, but in the same room. She tried to tell the girl that they weren't sleeping together in a romantic way, but Kusanagi didn't look convinced.

* * *

"What did you find?" She asked as Aoshi came back in. He walked over and sat down behind her, she happily leaned back into him. He only showed affection when the others weren't there. Though she suspected everyone knew about them anyway. If Sano were there she had no doubt he would be teasing them endlessly.

"A week after Megumi's family was murdered, they became rich overnight," Aoshi said. "How no one noticed is beyond me. It's played off like they had a previously unknown rich relative who died, and the fortune fell on them, but the story doesn't hold up if you poke it."

She swallowed, "You think they got paid off for their son killing Megumi's family?"

"I think he was bribed into killing them."

She shivered, and he wrapped his arms around her, "Who would do such a thing?"

"Someone who wanted to speed things up. Look how much things changed after that night." He was right, the division between the classes grew exponentially and the slave trade took off.


	24. Chapter 24

**Two weeks in a row, go figure I managed to do this right in the middle of midterms. Thanks to the person who mentioned a battle of wits in a review. It got my brain going and I have a pretty good idea of where I'm going for the next couple chapters (which honestly hasn't been the case for awhile and is part of the reason I've been slow with updates). Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

The Game

"Meggi," Raku said. She had slowly come to hate that nickname because it was always followed by something she wouldn't like. "I know this is painful for you, but why do you think your husband, er, ex-husband killed your family?"

It was the first time Raku had ever brought up the topic, it meant something, but she wasn't sure what it meant. "I don't know," she said softly.

"Maybe he went mad, people like him are all animals…" Raku trailed off.

She got the hint and finished the sentence, "Animals that need to be trained."

Raku smiled, telling her something was off, "And to tame an animal, sometimes force must be used. Since your new to having a slave, I figured you don't know how to punish them. My slave's been messing up a lot and needs a reminder. I figured it would be good practice for you."

She paled and mentally cursed herself, she had walked straight into this. Raku ordered Tau to get on all fours and then slid something into her hand. She looked down to see a whip, the end was a darker color than the handle. It had been stained with blood and not cleaned. It would probably cause infection on anyone it was used on. Raku grabbed her arm and pulled her over to stand over Tau. Her mind was numb, and she just stood there looking down at Tau.

"Go on," Raku encouraged when she didn't move, pulling her out of her stupor. She looked over at Raku and something in Raku's eyes caught her attention. Raku was excited and finally it clicked in her mind. Raku knew, or at least suspected she was communicating with Tau. This was another test. If she played this wrong, then Tau would be killed.

She raised the whip and started to bring it down but stooped herself, making her inner conflict known. She stood there for a few seconds, finalizing her rushed plan, before dropping her arm. "I can't," She said. "As a doctor, I swore an oath to never intentionally harm another human being."

"I didn't think you were a doctor," Raku purred.

"Well close enough to a doctor down there, but either way, I made an oath and I can't go back on it," she said. Now she needed Raku to follow through, so she could prove she was heartless and didn't care. Then all she could do was hope it worked.

"But how do you plan on punishing them then?" Raku asked and she mentally cheered, just the question she was hoping for.

She smiled, "There are ways to hurt someone without physically harming them."

She had Raku's interest now, "Show me."

"I need to grab something from my home," she said, turning and walking towards home. Kusanagi kept her face impassive, but she could tell the woman was angry. Kusanagi probably saw this as betrayal. She just hoped everything would work out how she wanted it to because if it didn't, it would be.

She grabbed the herbs Karou had given her, mentally thanking her friend for giving them to her and teaching her how to prepare them. Then she walked back out to Raku, passing by Kusanagi and slipping a leaf and a note into the woman's pocket. She pulled on the pocket so Kusanagi knew she had done something.

Grabbing a glass of water, she dumped in the right amount of leaves in and stirred. When she was done she gave it to Tau to drink, avoiding looking him in the eye. If her plan failed, this would really hurt him. Tau obediently drank and then silence fell.

"It takes about twenty minutes to take effect," she said.

Raku pouted, "That's no fun."

"You'd be amazed at the power fear has, not knowing when the punishment comes is part of it," She said, forcing a smile onto her face. Raku brightened up at this. "How about you show me the flowers in your garden you've been telling me about while we wait," she said, Raku nodded in agreement. "Come," she said to Kusanagi and then she held her breath.

"No," Raku said quickly, and she released her breath. "We don't need them."

She nodded and left arm in arm with Raku, leaving Kusanagi and Tau at the table. She had hoped Raku would want the opposite of what she wanted with the slaves. It was odd to bring them to the garden, so she had hoped Raku would think she was planning something and force the two to stay. That was exactly what she needed. They needed to be left alone so Kusanagi could get the antidote to Tau. Now she just hopped Kusanagi understood her message and that Tau was a good actor. If he couldn't pretend to have a stomach ache from hell, then they were all in trouble.

She oohed and awed over the flowers in the garden, but she didn't really care. Aside from noticing some plants Karou would be interested in, she really had no interest in plants, but her compliments were enough to appease Raku.

When they returned to the table, Tau was on the ground with both hands wrapped around his stomach. Raku raised and eyebrow and went over to the man, kicking him roughly in the side. He let out a whimper of pain. She was suddenly very worried her plan had failed, and she was now the reason Tau was in pain.

"What did you do?" Raku asked.

"Stomach ache from hell," she said, hiding her fear and putting on a look of smugness. "It causes quite a bit of pain but no vomiting and overall no harm is done to the body."

"How long will it last?"

"Only about thirty minutes. I gave a smaller dose because I didn't want to incapacitate your slave for too long."

Raku smiled, "What plant did you use?"

"Caster oil plant," she said, it was the only plant name she knew that caused stomach aches. She had no idea what Karou had given her, only how it would work. It was dangerous for Raku to know about the plant, but it was a risk she would have to take. "The seeds contain a poison that in the right dosage can cause pain without killing. The wrong dosage however will kill rather quickly," She said. Hopefully Raku didn't start experimenting.

"Fascinating," Raku said, kicking Tau once more in the side before returning to the table.

They drank more tea and chatted idly, though she wasn't really in the mood for any of it. Not with Tau writhing in pain on the ground. But she forced herself to act normally and prayed that Tau was just an amazing actor. Eventually Raku had errands to run and so they said their farewells, leaving Tau where he was laying.

"Please tell me you got the note," she said to Kusanagi once they were inside.

"Yes. We would not still be alive if we didn't know how to act convincingly," Kusanagi said, not trying to hide the anger in her voice. She sighed in relief. "Why did you do that?" Kusanagi asked angerly.

"She knew. She knew I was communicating with Tau. It was a test. If I didn't hurt him, we'd all be in trouble."

"What?" Sano asked, coming out of the living room where he had been hanging all day. She quickly filled him in on what happened. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Do you think she bought it?"

"I hope so."

Kusanagi looked at her, "You're a better actor than I expected. I'm sorry for questioning you."

"You had every right to," she said and let Sano lead her into the living room.

The next day she went out again to have tea with Raku. They were chatting amiably when a slave she didn't recognize brought out the tea. Her heart sunk, where was Tau?

"Where's your slave?" She asked innocently. "I hope I didn't incapacitate him longer than anticipated."

"No. He was becoming defective, so I disposed of him and got a new one. What do you think?"

Her heart stopped, she had failed, Raku had been in control the entire time. She had read everything wrong. If she had refused to hurt him, been the Megumi Raku knew, then he would have been safe. But instead she had not acted like herself, so intent on buying Raku's trust. She had lost, and Tau would pay the price.

She looked at Raku's new slave, pretending to appraise him but not actually seeing him. "Nice," she said.

"Mam," Sano said, walking up behind them and her mind snapped to the one thing she could to. She had to believe Tau was still alive. She would believe it until she saw a body.

She rounded on Sano, looking angry. "I told you I don't need you today," she said to him. "Go do what ever you do on your free time." Now that she was facing him, Raku couldn't see her face, so she let her fear show. Sano looked around, registered the different slave, and understood what was going on. He sneered at her, turned around, and ambled back towards the house.

"Sheesh," she said sitting back down. "You'd think he was in love with me the way he clings to me."

Raku giggled and motioned for her new slave to pour the tea. It was then that she actually registered what the man looked like. He looked very similar to Aki, her murderous husband. That was why Raku had looked so annoyed at her earlier indifference to the man's appearance. It took everything she had to keep her impassive mask in place.

Why would Raku find a slave that looked like the man who killed her family? Her brain was racing. She was missing something. The man's appearance was a taunt, but why was Raku taunting her? Raku had never shown any interest in the man who killed her family. Her back straightened suddenly. Raku never asked what happened, because she already knew.

Her question yesterday, Raku wanted to know if she knew anything about the reason for her family's murder. Something had happened to put Raku on edge. But then she hadn't known, so now Raku was flaunting her superior knowledge by finding a slave that looked like her husband.

The murder of her family had caused the gap between the classes to grow and it also grew the slave trade. The same business Raku was part of. Raku was the one friend her parents hadn't chosen for her. The one friend who supported her marrying a commoner. And the one friend who never asked about what happened that night. She thought it was kindness and that was probably what Raku wanted her to think. Raku was the reason her family was dead.

The realization slammed into her and caused her to almost drop her tea cup. It was the missing piece. The one thing she had never understood. Her husband had been forced to kill her family.

She belonged to one of the most powerful families. Raku and her had become friends because they both had an interest in the lower class. Raku had encouraged her curiosity. Raku had been playing her since the moment they became friends. Even now, Raku was in control. She doubted she had ever once had control.

"Are you alright?" Raku asked. She looked into Raku's eyes but saw nothing that could calm the storm in her mind. The person she saw as her best friend had planned the death of her family, had panned everything. "You look pale."

"It's the tea," she said without thinking. "It reminds me of one my mother use to make." Raku looked annoyed again. It was only for a split second, but she saw it. Because she was so frazzled, she wasn't doing what Raku expected of her and it was pissing Raku off.

She mentally laughed, go figure, the one time she stopped thinking was the one time she got out of Raku's control. She just hopped that now that she knew, she could start taking the control from Raku without Raku finding out. She had to play someone who had been playing her since they were ten years old.


	25. Chapter 25

**Sorry this took so long. You know how I said I had the next few chapters planned out, well, I forgot what I was going to do. So, this took longer to write.**

 **So, I didn't like the first version of this that I posted (for those of you that read it) this is my second attempt. If there was something if the other version that you liked and I didn't include, please let me know.**

 **Also, the first section of this is written a little differently so please let me know if it is hard to follow.**

 **Hope you enjoy**

The Deaths

She opened her eyes and for a few blissful seconds, she thought the events of the past week had all been a dream. That he was still alive. Then her mind fully awoke, and reality kicked in. He was gone. The woman and her friends had done everything they could to find him, but, as she had predicted, they had failed. Disposed of meant death. She knew that, but she had still hoped the woman's friends would find him alive. They had found what was left of him three days after he had vanished.

She wanted to blame the woman with every fiber of her being, but she couldn't. She knew she would have failed too. This was a game that had been playing for far longer than anyone expected. A game few could recognize and even fewer could win. The woman had revealed just how long this game had been going when she mentioned her families murder being part of it. It was hard to imagine that a ten-year-old had planned all this.

Pulling herself out of bed, she got dressed and went to the kitchen to start breakfast. The intimidating man was there, drinking coffee like always. He grunted a greeting to her and went back to staring out the window.

"Morning Kusanagi," The woman said, walking in with the ever-growing bags under her eyes. What the woman was up to was a mystery, not even the intimidating man knew what the woman was up to. Since his disappearance, the woman had closed herself off.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" The intimidating mas asked the woman.

"No, but I'm almost done."

"Care to fill us in?"

"Soon. It was safer to not tell anyone until everything is in place," the woman said yawning.

"Megumi, you need to get some sleep."

The woman just sent him an exasperated look, "Do you have any idea how many all-nighters I have had to pull when working at the hospital? I'm fine."

"What are you doing that is taking so long?" She asked the woman.

The woman looked at her, "I'm making a move that will hopefully be the last move we have to make."

Sometimes the woman's way of talking could be confusing. She just nodded and assumed someone would tell her what was going on eventually.

"Sano, I'm gonna need to send a message to the others later today. Is that possible?"

The intimidating man just grumbled and ambled into the adjacent room where he had a computer set up.

"Do you have any plans today that I should know about?" She asked.

"Nothing involving you," the woman said. She had been saying that all week and it was getting annoying.

"I don't blame you," she said.

"You should," the woman said, looking down at her feet. "I should have seen it. I should have known."

"I've been watching their twisted thinking for a few years and I didn't see it. I am a slave and I didn't even know how much that woman was involved. I don't think anyone could have known."

"Your too nice Kusanagi."

"I want to blame you," she said, returning to the food she was preparing. "You have no idea how much I want to blame you. But I can't. You are trying everything in your power to end this. We knew the risks when we stayed. He wouldn't blame you."

The woman just nodded and left the room, leaving her to her thoughts. She wanted to blame the woman, because then she wouldn't be blaming herself. She knew it was foolish to be angry at herself for something no one saw coming, but she couldn't help but think there might have been something she could have done. He had saved her life and yet she did nothing to protect him when he needed it.

He had managed to be there the moment her training had failed and her concept of free will had returned. Almost like he had a sixth sense. If he hadn't been there to cover for her in that moment, she would have been killed. But he had been there, and she had lived. He had known the exact moment she would need help, why hadn't she been able to do the same thing? Why hadn't she sensed what he had sensed? Why?

She felt a tear roll down her cheek and shook her head, wiping the tear away. Tears would do no good here. Crying would not help them win this war.

* * *

It turned out, Raku's taunt was going to be her undoing. She had spent the last week following her gut, now all she needed was to get Raku to confirm what she thought.

When looking for the leaders of the slave trade, she had initially been looking for the people who engaged readily in it. After finding out Raku's involvement, she had looked at the people close to Raku. She should have been looking at the people close to her family. There was no way a ten-year-old could pull off what Raku had done. She would have had help from others. Those others would have placed themselves close to her family to make sure everything went to plan. Once she had figured that out, it was fairly easy to figure out who the actual people involved were. They were the ones who acted like Raku did about slaves. Accepting but not overly engaged, at least on the outside.

What had driven them to sacrifice her family was a question she was going to get answered when this was all over. She had no doubt Raku's love of slaves grew from her parents. They were odd people. Raku's father stayed inside almost all the time, she had never met him. It was rumored that he was scared from some accident when he was younger and that was why he didn't go out. Raku's mother was a queen manipulator, something her daughter had obviously inherited.

Now she knew just what Raku was, she saw manipulation in every word. It gave her a headache trying to figure out what Raku was up to. There were just too many possibilities as to what Raku's end goal is. She just had to make her move and hope Raku didn't see it coming. If she did, the city would burn for it.

They had most of the police force on their side, most of the city, and a leader to take over once they broke everything. It was time to move, before Raku managed to kidnap or kill anyone else, she cared about. All she could do was hope that she wasn't about to start a blood bath.

* * *

The hospital was uneventful, and she was able to deliver the papers to Tae without anyone noticing. It was now up to Tae to get the papers to Karou. Now she was off to visit her parents' graves with the woman who had planned their murder.

Raku had asked to go with her for the anniversary of her parent's death. She didn't know what raku was thinking, but she allowed her to come. She didn't have a good reason as to why Raku couldn't come, and it posed a unique opportunity.

The upper class had been trying to use fear to get the lower class back to how things use to be. It had started when the number of people they were grabbing to make into slaves drastically decreased. They were being deprived of something they say necessary for life. The problem was, the scare tactics were working. Kenshin and his friends were losing the momentum they had been gaining.

Raku gave her the ability to regain some of that momentum. Why? Because Raku always took her slave where ever she went. Most of the lower class had no real concept of what happened to the people who were taken. It was hard to convince them to fight against something they didn't fully understand. The upper class was careful that the slaves weren't seen by the lower class. Raku's pride would change that. Raku thought that seeing the slaves would either instill more fear or make people want to be slaves. Neither of which would actually happen.

Her family's graves were in a graveyard in the lower city. They would have to walk through part of the lower city to get there. A residential part. The people there would see first hand just what the slave industry was. Word would spread quickly of what they saw and that would hopefully get people to move past their fears. She would use Raku just like Raku was using her.

They got to the graves and she started cleaning them before placing flowers and incents. Then they both prayed silently. She asked for their forgiveness for bring Raku there. All she could do was hope they understood why she had done it.

"Do you miss them?" Raku asked.

"Every day."

"They were good people."

"They were, and my brother was so young, he didn't deserve this," she said, struggling to keep the anger from her voice.

"That's why they shouldn't have free will, the people down here are vial creatures," Raku said with more venom in her voice than she had ever heard before.

"Why do you hate them so much?" She asked. It was a question she had been wanting to ask. She hadnt intended on asking it now, it had just slipped out.

"They killed my brother," Raku said angrily.

"You mean Sojiro?" She asked. Raku was an only child and Sojiro was the only person she could think of that Raku would see as a sibling. He was a young protégé that Raku's father had taken in. The thing was, he wasn't dead. He had left to explore the world.

"Raku, he's not dead."

"Yes, he is. They took him from me," Raku said angrily. She was all the sudden reminded of Eichi. There was a surprising amount of similarities between the actions of the two. "Saying they went traveling is just what parents tell their kids when they don't want tell them someone died."

She stared at Raku, that was the reason behind what she had done. All these games were because a child had misunderstood.

"You killed my family because you thought Sojiro was dead?" She hadn't meant to ask that; her anger just got the better of her. It was a stupid move and she knew it, but Karou and the others had the plans, and everything was being put into place. Even if Raku knew she knew, there wouldn't be much time for a counter move.

Raku stared at her for a few seconds, "When did you figure that out?" Raku said softly.

"The day your other slave went missing. I figured out why you had asked about my family all the sudden and why you were annoyed when I didn't react to him," she gestured at the slave.

"You're a better actor than I thought you would be Meggie," Raku said with a smile. "I killed your parents because no one else could see the rot down here. After your parents died, everyone listened to me. Everyone saw what I saw."

"The rot that killed my parents is the rot inside of you, not the people here."

"They took my brother from me, they don't deserve to have anything," Raku spit, her calm mask falling away.

"They took nothing from you and you took everything from them," she said. Raku was a mastermind, but she was still a child.

"Going to try and stop me Meggie? You couldn't stop me when I killed your parents."

"We will stop you," Both women turned in shock towards the man who had just spoken. Kusanagi said the slave wasn't like her, yet here he was, speaking out against his master. "You are outnumbered, and we have a strong will. You might kill some of us, but you cannot defeat us."


End file.
